HQ Magazine Issue 157A by hqmagazine

DIGITAL ISSUE 157A | 2021

SOUTH AFRICA’S PREMIER EQUESTRIAN MAGAZINE

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Hello hello! With the holidays fast approaching, there is much excitement in the air here at HQ. But fear not, we will still be publishing lots of great content and, of course, our print magazine and our next digital issue will be out before you know it! There's plenty here to keep you entertained: from an article on Ruconu Appaloosa Stud and its inspirational owner Mariann Du Plessis, to our regular feature with Ryan Tehini on performance enhancement using evidence-based psychology, to a discussion of the issues of parasites in our beloved equines. As always, we hope there is something for everyone! All that remains is for Team HQ to wish you and yours a very happy festive season! Please give your ponies a carrot from us, and we’ll see you on the 1st of January with our next digital edition. Until then! With much festive love,

Lizzie and xxx the HQ team Dr Lizzie Harrison | Editor

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Designer: Mauray Wolff

DIGITAL ISSUE 157A | 2021

IN THIS ISSUE 06 Capital Stud Hybrid Auction 2021 A resounding success

70 Home sweet home Choosing a hoof-friendly yard

14 Ruconu Appaloosa Stud Breeding the best

76 Your questions answered With EPVSA – RegenSportsMed

24 Sandro Hit A stallion dividing opinions

78 Food shortages A common concern at this time of year

28 Zandi Alcock My horsemanship journey

82 Improving equine muscle performance One beat at a time…

38 What makes a good Show Horse Knowing what to look for

86 natomy, Part 4 Teeth

42 Show Rider of the Month Dawn Newman

92 Parasites A stud farm’s perspective

54 Optimising your psychological performance Part 3: Mental Imagery

106 Products we love Shopping fun

58 Serpentine exercise With Rotovetti

110 The twelve days of Christmas According to Pridey

62 Bitless bridles The options

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CAPITAL STUD HYBRID AUCTION 2021

A RESOUNDING SUCCESS

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The Capital Stud 2021 Hybrid Auction was certainly a high point in the equestrian calendar and a top way to finish the year for all in attendance. The 2021 auction marked a return to live auctions, and for those of us able to attend in person, the experience was charged with emotion, camaraderie and, of course, great anticipation. This auction also brought the first-ever hybrid experience to South Africa, enabling anyone to either be there in person or watch the live stream. For those tuning into the live stream, the hybrid platform for bidders, the work of the camera-men and of course, Aidan Lithgow, the auctioneer, made the experience as good as it was for those in the room. The quality of the horses on offer was exceptional. We saw scope, technique and rideability from these expertly produced youngsters, and the overall quality was worldclass. Congratulations must go to the Capital Stud team on achieving this feat of brilliance and showing the collection off so marvellously to the captivated audience. The atmosphere was real, with the auction hall moving from goosebumps to tears and back again in a matter of minutes. It was thrilling to be there and be part of the action. The collection of horses carried an energy of their own, and their presence in the arena was certainly felt. The results speak for themselves, but it is safe to say that Capital Stud is producing a very special type of sport horse for the future of the equestrian sport in South Africa.

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In the words of Dirk Zagers: What Henning Pretorius has created in South Africa in terms of sport and breeding is unbelievable. His input lifted the warmblood breeding to the next level. For a long time, the South African sport depended on European imports but with the quality of horses that Capital Stud breeds we are going to see more home-bred horses at the

top of the sport.

THE EVENT

The Friday night session with the under-saddle presentation of the auction horses was better attended than ever before. A first introduction to the arena and an audience for these young horses was testing, and it was a proud moment for the team to see the youngsters perform better and better. The celebrations went on late into the night with nervous energy anticipating the sale the next day. Saturday morning commenced with a presentation of some young and current Capital stallions to the audience. It was special to see a selection of young stallions from the upper echelons of Europe’s current offering, who Henning has purchased over the last few years. Henning’s investment in these horses and, by the same token, in South African equestrian sport is really something to be admired. The world’s best bloodlines were on display for all to see, and the future certainly looks bright for Capital Stud breeding and South African sport.

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YOUNG AND CURRENT STALLIONS ◊

Capital Toulouse (2019) (Diarado x Cha-Cha (Chacco Blue). This stallion is out of the same mother as Capital Moonlight.

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Capital Jaures (2019) (Baloubet du Rouet x Hera van’T Roosakker (Wandor van de Mispelaere))

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Capital Todos de Regor (2019) (Chacco Blue x Centa de Muze (Cento))

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Capital Hermes Pommex Z (2019) (Halifax van her Kluizebos x Nusha (Emerald van’T Ruytershof))

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Capital Harton vd Berghoeve Z (2019) (Heartbreaker x Hiamant van’T Roosakker (Diamant de Semilly))

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Then the young stallions already on the showjumping circuit and those soon to join, Capital Impossible, Figaro d’Isigny, Qorland and Cornet Blue.

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We also had a chance to see Levubu and Kronos, who need no introduction, but it was beautiful to see them under a different spotlight.

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After this impressive display, Henning Pretorius gave an opening speech to welcome the assembled crowd. In his own words: “With all of the changes over the past 12 months both globally and here at the Stud, I can honestly say that my love for sport horses and my vision to see South African horses and teams competing at international levels has never been surer. Aside from my love and focus on bloodlines and genetics, I am more committed than ever to the development of our young horses and the Capital Stud team. We continue to seek better ways to give our young horses the best introduction and exposure in their formative years, with all of our horses now spending an extra year under saddle. We feel this and the idyllic conditions at Summerhill will ensure our horses have the time and space to grow and develop into the world-class athletes they are bred to be.” There is no doubt that the work Henning and his dedicated team have put into creating this collection has produced some exceptional athletes, and a glance at the young stallions on display and the damlines he has imported, shows how committed he is to the future of the sport.

Henning then went on to look at the successes of the Stud in the past 12 months. In his words: ◊

“Capital My Lady needs no introduction, winning everything there is to win with her wise beyond his years, Thomas van Rijckevorsel. After selecting her on our 2017 auction himself, he has certainly proven that this partnership is the one to beat, and we look forward to seeing where Thomas will go with his vision, determination and the sheer weight of his talent.

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Capital Moonlight and Capital Kamron, again a pair needing no introduction, arrived in Belgium with Kelly O’Connor earlier this year. The two of them are excelling under the Rotoflo banner, with Capital Moonlight coming 7th in his first-ever 1.40m competition. We know that big news is sure to come from Kelly and her overseas team.

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Then, Capital Levubu, another of our magnificent stallions, is performing exceptionally under Bronywn Meredith Dos Santos and now flying around the 1.50m tracks with ease and consistent podium finishes.

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Capital Hurley and Capital Don Castello with Jorja Rorich are also ascending the showjumping ranks at impressive speed. With podium finishes under their belts, we know we’ll see much more of this team next year.

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Then, of course, there is Capital Magic Boy – excelling at the top of the sport with Ronnie Healy. We’ve been delighted to see him progressing through the grades and know there are big things to come from this talented horse.

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In other exciting news, Capital Night Star, the full-brother of Capital Magic Boy, has been bought back by the Stud, as Nicole Horwood and I are in no doubt of his talent and plan to send him overseas to show his quality on the international circuit.”

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THE COLLECTION

The selection of horses on offer on this auction should make the Capital Stud Team incredibly proud. Henning’s vision, the talented team of riders and, of course, the horses themselves are all responsible for the success of this auction. From top international level competitors to the best amateur horses available, there really was a horse for everyone on this auction. To reflect on this collection and its origins, one also has to look at the stallions who have produced them. Homerus, Kronos and of course, Colnardo had a large influence on this collection, and these stallions are deservedly a great source of pride for all at Capital. And, yet, the biggest influence, with seven spectacular progeny on the auction, was undoubtedly Rendement. Henning fittingly finished his speech with a very emotional tribute to Rendement:

With this demonstration of Henning’s dedication and love for his sporthorses, the auction commenced with Capital Cadillac, Lot 1, entering the room. As soon as he entered the arena, the energy grew to a new level. For the next few hours, the bids flew with a mixture of bids from the floor, and the ‘ping’ of the online bidders. Cheers of excitement and pure exhilaration filled the room, culminating in emotional meetings between horse and rider as the hammer came down. If the love felt in the room was anything to go by, these horses are going to some very special homes. We are certain that it will not be long before these horses are clearing up in the showjumping arena.

“As most of you will almost certainly know, we lost Rendement suddenly just a few months ago. This horse was a true gentleman, with endless talent and, in the words of Johan Lotter, the heart of a lion. Rendement competed internationally with Johan, achieving great acclaim overseas; all of which culminated in a wonderful performance at the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky in 2010. We couldn’t be more proud to have provided this stallion with the retirement he so well deserved at Summerhill Equestrian for the last few years, and just wish that he could have had a few more years to further bask in the glory of his achievements. We feel his passing keenly. Our only consolation is the talent and temperament he so clearly passes onto his offspring. For anyone taking home a Rendement youngster tonight, please know that you are sitting on a truly great horse, carrying the genes of the most decorated stallion, who until very recently, stood on South African soil. He was a special horse and his offspring are no different.”

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RESULTS

The results of the fifth Capital Stud Auction really speak for themselves. The quality for these talented youngsters was visible. Those bidding were determined to win their chosen lots. Two lots deserve special mention for the price-tags they achieved. Firstly we have Capital Claribel, the “beautiful, big, blood-type horse”, who prompted fierce bidding wars, and eventually sold for R1.4million. Described by the team as “looking even more promising than her father, Capital Colnardo, did at this age”, it is no surprise that people fought hard to take her home. Then Capital Kasane, the talented Kannan colt, who topped the million mark at R1.05million and generated great excitement in the room. In the words of Dirk Zagers “This horse has endless potential and quality. He has a great canter and enormous power.” We can certainly advocate for the fact that he really can jump!

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FINAL THOUGHTS

HQ wishes all of the new owners the best of luck and every success with their new horses. Finally, we need to congratulate the Capital Stud Team for all of their hard work and their investment in breeding and producing this exquisite collection. We can’t wait to see where 2022 takes you and your horses!

Results Lot 1: Capital Cadillac (Capital Capriccio x Capital Shiraz x Wachmann III) R550 000 Lot 2: Capital Holden (Capital Homerus x Capital Shiraz x Rendement) R250 000 Lot 3: Capital Kingston (Capital Kronos x Capital A Star x Caretino) R300 000 Lot 4: Capital Harvard (Capital Homerus x Mylord Carthago x Quidam de Revel) R260 000 Lot 5: Capital Raelynn (Rendement x Concorde van de Helle x Sheyenne de Baugy) R400 000 Lot 6: Capital Rohan (Rendement x Capital Capriccio x Pavarotti van de Helle) R280 000 Lot 7: Capital New Pleasure (Cayado x Casido x Lucky Lionell) R360 000 Lot 8: Capital Calluna (Consuelo x Land Earl x Trocadero xx) R450 000 Lot 10: Capital Chipinge (Capital Conlanc x Boris van het Kluizebos x Darco) R380 000 Lot 11: Capital Rolex (Rendement x Optimum van de Wellington x Landjunker I) R300 000 Lot 12: Capital Rouge (Rendement x Capital Ulior van het Wuitenshof x Filou des Mesnils) R440 000 Lot 13: Capital Andora (Arezzo VDL x Capital Castigo x Rivale d’Or) R340 000 Lot 14: Capital Renegade (Rendement x Capital A Star x Royal Bravour) R360 000 Lot 15: Capital Coretta (Capital Colnardo x Chin Win x Stakkato) R370 000 Lot 17: Capital Quality (Zirocco Blue VDL x Stakkato x Lord Caletto) R510 000 Lot 18: Capital Hollywell (Capital Homerus x Capital Hitoshi x Coronado) R360 000 Lot 19: Capital Cairo (Corland x Capital Castigo x Capital Capriccio) R320 000 Lot 20: Capital Kamora (Capital Kronos x Capital A Star x Bambix) R730 000 Lot 21: Capital Hollybush (Capital Homerus x Capital Don Cumarco x Capital Ulior van het Wuitenshof) R230 000 Lot 22: Capital Claribel (Capital Colnardo x Mylord Carthago x Conquest van de Helle) R1.4 million Lot 23: Capital Hawk (Capital Homerus x Nabab de Reve x Ramiro Z) R560 000 Lot 24: Capital Rufina (Rendement x Guidam x Zeus) R400 000 Lot 26: Capital Clover (Capital Castigo x Capital Shiraz x Bambix) R240 000 Lot 27: Capital Heartly (Capital Homerus x Capital Colnardo x Capital Shiraz) R550 000 Lot 28: Capital Kasane (Kannan GFE x For Pleasure x Corrado I) R1 050 000 Lot 29: Capital Cullinan (Capital Castigo x Alzu Cyclone II x Bambix) R260 000 Lot 30: Capital Horizon (Capital Homerus x Capital Colnardo x Major de la Cour) R350 000 Lot 31: Capital Rembrance (Rendement x Pavarotti van de Helle x Concerto II) R475 000

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BREEDS

PHOTOGRAPHY: MERLYNN TRICHARDT

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BREEDS

BREEDING THE BEST HQ|157A

BREEDS

Magazine caught up with Mariann Du Plessis, the owner and founder of Ruconu Appaloosa Stud, while she was up in Johannesburg for Horse of the Year 2021. Ruconu Appaloosa Stud is a relatively young stud, based in Clarens, breeding absolutely superb quality Appaloosas. Mariann showed some of her stallions at the HOY show and two featured in the final 10 of the Breed Supreme, as well as winning All Breed Supreme Champion Stallion and Western Supreme Halter Stallion. HQ: So where did this all start? Mariann: My father was a Thoroughbred breeder, so my childhood was filled with discussions about conformation and breeding. I spent many hours in my dad’s bakkie going to look at horses, and over time developed an eye for what he was looking for. My father really operates on instinct with the horses. He can just see a horse and know about its potential, but he’s also excellent at explaining what he’s

MY PASSION FOR BREEDING GREW AND GREW. I COULDN’T STOP LEARNING!

seeing in terms of the way the horse is put together. I just absorbed this information. One day my father went off to a stud farm that was closing down in the Amajuba Mountains to look at two horses that he’d heard were for sale. While he was there he watched a cattle herder ride in on an Appaloosa stallion, and he fell in love with the horse immediately. He could see the potential in the way he moved; he was so balanced and elegant. My father bought him then and there and loaded him into the horsebox and brought him home. We called him Zulu. When I met Zulu I knew he was special and my passion for Appaloosas just grew from there. We found out that Zulu was by a very highly-regarded Appaloosa stallion called Alpha Toby Four Spot, who was by the exquisite Chipperfield’s Spot. We therefore acquired several horses from Zulu’s bloodlines, and after a few years of lifestyle breeding, we decided to formalise the operations and Ruconu was born. HQ: And the origins of the name Ruconu? Mariann: I met and married my husband Ed. He’s so supportive of what I do and plays a massive role in the stud. He has three sons, and the horses really provided the centre point around which we all connected and got to know each other. We bought horses for the boys and used to go on outrides on the farm as a family. The name Ruconu is derived from the three boys’ names, as we just all fell in love with what the horses brought into our lives. HQ: So tell us more about Zulu? Mariann: Zulu is a wise old man now, but he’s always had the most amazing temperament. He taught my husband to ride from scratch, despite being a stallion. He’s the best babysitter for children, and I can honestly say that some of my best rides have been on him. HQ: And why did you select Appaloosas? Mariann: The reason for the Appaloosas is Zulu. His bloodline is special and once we knew what we had we couldn’t resist breeding with him. I became absolutely obsessed. I live my passion. We looked and looked for mares for such a long time, as I wanted to do it right and acquire the best in breed. We visited Appaloosa studs in South Africa and selected the top mares we could afford.

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BREEDS

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BREEDS

We then bought coverings from imported stallions. We now have four mares from Zulu’s bloodlines that we use in our programme. Once we were a bit more established, we selected wonderful colts from imported stallions. The Appaloosa colts we selected have the best genes and came from a wide variety of gene pools. They are all of different types, as the Appaloosa is such a versatile breed and we have set up our portfolio based on these horses. We are incredibly passionate and confident in our foundation. HQ: And we have to mention the Thoroughbred influence in Ruconu Stud. Tell us about that. Mariann: Yes, the fourth stallion we bought was BW Huntington, a well-known Thoroughbred stallion. He is currently down in the Western Cape competing in showing with the National Candidate Judge Tarryn Stebbing. He’s a wonderful stallion, and we are already producing foals with him and our Appaloosa mares.

So that means that as a stud we have a dressage line, a Western line and a French import, who is bred for both dressage and jumping, and is so agile and athletic. Our fourth line originates with BW Huntingdon. As you might expect, the foundation breeders tend to believe in staying with foundation horses for the Appies, but the small gene pool can become an issue. I believe the Appies and Thoroughbreds will combine brilliantly. Appies are hardy, versatile and willing partners and to combine them with a larger framed horse like the older stamp of Thoroughbred is proven to create talented modern sporthorses. HQ: And why Thoroughbreds in particular? Mariann: I’m the youngest in my family by 10 years. I started riding at the age of 6 and I’d always be put on the safe but not especially good-looking pony. When I was ten, I told my dad that I really wanted a beautiful horse so that everyone could see that I didn’t just ride the ugly ones. He took me to try a few. I sat on a wonderful and ridable

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pony, but it had a funny looking hindquarter. I then sat on a beautiful Thoroughbred mare called Sally who was clearly too much horse. Naturally, I made it clear that I wanted the Thoroughbred! My dad did the clever thing and got both – the pony who I could actually ride as well as the beautiful Thoroughbred. Over time, he taught me to ride the Thoroughbred. We used to leave the farm with me on Monty, the pony, and him on Sally, and then swap after a little way. My passion for Thoroughbreds comes from Sally. She had such presence and beauty and took such good care of me. A duiker would run out of the bush and she wouldn’t break her stride. She just knew how to look after me, and through her I was able to ride a beautiful horse and achieve my biggest dreams. She ultimately died of AHS in Hoedspruit, and it took me a very long time to get over the tragedy. HQ: And what can you tell us about Appaloosas as a breed? Mariann: They are super-clever. They will ask questions of your training and you have to respect that. If you treat an

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BREEDS

Appaloosa well, you will have their respect. They form fierce bonds with their owners and for me that’s so important as I love to bond with my animals. On top of that they are incredibly versatile, with a great work ethic and enormous athletic potential. They really can do it all. Plus, as it’s a developing breed, the future looks very exciting. HQ: So you’ve been going for four years? Mariann: Yes, and I’m still as passionate as when we started. My standards are very high, and I am so hungry to learn more. I do a huge amount of research, attend every clinic I can, and I have lessons every week with a tutor. HQ: How do you back and school your youngsters? Mariann: Thanks to my research, I think I’ve been able to develop a unique approach when it comes to selecting trainers. I go with the people who fit with my horses and my philosophy. I have a very special lady called Nadia Steyl who is of Irish/German descent. She’s a third generation horse woman, with her grandmother and aunt both being trainers in Ireland, and she works beautifully with my youngsters. She has more than 35 years of training experience and she is phenomenal at conditioning youngsters, doing liberty work and practising Straightness Training with them. She is passionate about creating a confident horse who is mentally and physically balanced and I love that.

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BREEDS

In terms of the backing process, Thys Maritz does this for me. He comes from a Western Mounted Games background, which is something I don’t know a lot about. He is so wonderful with the youngsters. If it’s good for the horse, he’s all in and will make a plan to help the horse to develop in the best way possible. He never backs down from a challenge, but will take all of the time the horse needs. I’m a big believer in letting the horse take the time they need and establishing a good foundation, so that if they go to a new home they will be easy to manage. HQ: And what about the business aspects of the stud? How do you cope with selling these horses that you are so invested in? Mariann: It’s hard. My husband is much more commercially orientated so I let him do the figures and spreadsheets etc. It’s easier to sell horses in utero before I know them – I definitely prefer that. However, once I know the horse I then spend a long time pairing them to the right rider. I can’t imagine ever selling one of my horses without knowing a lot about where they are going and who they will be working with. My standards are high! I’ve had great success with finding wonderful homes for my babies with lots of return customers. HQ: How do you know what to breed and who to breed to? Mariann: Studying pedigrees is essential and you have to choose your stallion and mare according to where you are going with your stud. You need to be constantly improving.

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You don’t want to breed quantity but quality. This means that you need to look at the performance background of the stallion and the performances of his offspring. Then you have a look at which type of mares have produced the best offspring from that stallion, and what compliments his pedigree in terms of mares. Then you need to ask yourself what you want to achieve by putting a particular mare to that stallion so that you have a clear objective with the pairing. I’m so careful with the pairings, and spend hours researching them. With Appies it’s especially important as they are so versatile: you have Western types, English types, Hunter types etc and you don’t want to mix them up. Similarly, you want to keep the gene pool as wide as possible. For me it’s not just gut - it’s also research based. HQ: And why do you compete in showing? Mariann: Showing is a great place to present your stud and also to learn about what everyone is doing. It’s a wonderful way to give your horses, particularly your youngsters, the exposure. I also love the different disciplines that are involved in the showing, especially as the Appaloosas can compete in all of them! It’s a great platform for the breed. HQ: And what does the future have in store for Ruconu? Mariann: Our goal is to breed and produce the best horses we can, and every single day, whether through researching pedigrees or training youngsters, we move closer to that goal!

VIDEO

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On the left-hand side, there are two sand arenas. Adjacent here to is found at Block B, 22 stables, two tack rooms and a wash bay housed under a 430 m2 roof. On the right-hand side of the lane is Block A of 520m2 in a luxurious, spacious American barn style, accommodating 16 horses, a lounge with bathroom and shower, a client’s tack room, a private tack room, a feed room and two wash bays. Block A has also been popular to host weddings. Outside Block B, there is a dressage arena of 20 by 60metres.

The Acropolis is a fully equipped 300 seat events venue available for various events, with a judge’s room and an office on the upper level and a fully equipped industrial fitted kitchen.

All venue equipment is included with the property. In front of the Acropolis are a graded jumping grass arena and a graded grass showing arena hosting many sponsored events.

A two bedroom Farm Manager's Cottage and three self-contained one bedroom labourer cottages, as well as a shed with automotive industrial doors, industrial racking and a thick screed-it industrial floor are situated on the right-hand side of the farm entrance. A two bedroom cottage is situated on the water’s edge. The dam is fed by a water turn four times per month and a furrow from a neighbouring farm on request. A borehole is used for irrigation and fresh water use for the residents.

The main house has four bedrooms, three bathrooms of which two are full en-suite, an open lounge, living area, a kitchen with a separate scullery, an inside braai area and domestic living quarters outside. Adjacent to the house is a seven-car garage with automated garage doors. Behind the trees are four open-plan self-catering cottages accessible by car and the floating walkway, and then finally included in the price are a list of farm implements.

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BREEDING

Vinducath A Sandro Hit son in South Africa

MIXED OPINIONS According to The Horse Magazine, “[Sandro Hit’s] fans point to the charisma and presence of his offspring, their fashionable dark colouring and an impressive canter, all exhibited by his many Young Horse class winners. His detractors point to an out–behind trot, a wicked walk and a dubious temperament”. However, his ‘fans’ seem able to bring out the best in their horses that are ‘out’ behind. With a bit of patience and correct conditioning, the flaw seems to be less of an issue.

INTERVIEW: CHRISTIE WOLHUTER

Sandro Hit A stallion dividing opinions 24

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BREEDING Morgan Barbancon Mestre riding Sir Donnerhall II (OLD) during the Equita Longines 2018 in Lyon, France

he late and incredibly famous stallion Sandro Hit has had to contend with his fair share of critics over the years. He was extremely popular in Germany but for years has polarised the breeding community. And yet, in the year of his death, he seems to finally have silenced his critics: firstly, by being represented in the direct pedigrees of eight of the Tokyo Olympic dressage horses, and secondly, the cherry on the top is him recently being crowned the number one dressage stallion in the WBFSH stallion rankings for 2021.

Sandro Hit initially performed poorly in his performance test. It turns out that even with his versatile breeding, he was a poor jumper. He had absolutely no scope. However, the head of dressage for the PSI Dr Ulf Möller had an idea after seeing him perform, and with Ulf in the saddle, Sandro Hit won the 1999 World Championships for six-year-old dressage horses in Arnheim, the Netherlands, and then again at the Bundeschampion at Warendorf. The rest is history. Sandro Hit became exceedingly popular as a young stallion and didn’t compete further due to breeding demands. HISTORY Not surprisingly, Ulf is Sandro Hit's biggest fan. He had Paul Schockemöhle purchased Sandro Hit back in 1993, this to say to The Horse Magazine “He is really stamping and from then on he stood at his stallion station. his offspring. He is producing uphill horses, producing Sandro Hit is by Sandro Song out of Loretta by Ramino pretty horses, even with some ugly mares. He gives his (Ramiro). The elite mare, Loretta, produced further colour, and he gives outstanding rideability, and he gives licensed stallions with Diamond Hit by Don Schufro and something that is difficult to say in words, he makes Royal Hit by Royal Dance. Sandro Song himself competed proud horses. This is what is important – but it also in both dressage and showjumping to intermediate level. gives a responsibility to the rider that he understands Interestingly, Midgard Stud’s Saliner was by Sandro Song. this proudness, and doesn’t try and press this proudness

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BREEDING

A beautifully bred Vinducath foal

out. The rider must allow this pride to come out of the horse – maybe it was a bit the same with him at the stallion test, they pressed him and I let him live.”

BREEDING ACHIEVEMENTS He has 355 approved sons, and 97 of his offspring have competed at Grand Prix level. One of his most popular breeding sons is Sir Donnerhall I (whose dam sire is the inimitable Donnerhall). Sir Donnerhall I was followed by a repeat breeding, resulting in Sir Donnerhall II. Sir Donnerhall II competed at the Tokyo Olympics under France’s Morgan Barbançon. One doesn’t have to look much further than the recent Olympics in Tokyo to see the depth of Sandro Hit’s influence. Team USA had a son of Sandro Hit in Adrienne Lyle’s Salvino (Sandro Hit x Donnerhall), a grandson in Sabine Schut-Kery’s Sanceo (San Remo

by Sandro Hit x Ramiro’s Son) and a great grandson in Steffen Peters’ Suppenkasper (Spielberg x Krack C)! Team USA went on to ride to Team Silver and Sabine Schut-Kery placed 5th individually with an exquisite test aboard Sanceo. Team Germany’s Dorothee Schneider helped secure team Gold aboard her long-time partner and likely Sandro Hit’s most famous son, Showtime FRH (Sandro Hit x Rotspon).

SOUTH AFRICA In South Africa, Sandro Hit is best represented by his Grand Prix son, the breeding stallion Vinducath but he is also the sire of the international stallion popular for breeding in South Africa, Sandreo. Sandro Hit’s genes are woven into dressage breeding all over the world, and it seems after his death, there will be a renewed interest in what he has to offer. HQ|157A

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HORSE AND RIDER

INTERVIEW: CHRISTIE WOLHUTER

Zandi Alcock My horsemanship journey

fter our chat with Zandi Alcock in the wake of her South African Championships 1.30m win on her Thoroughbred Favour the Bold (HQ Digital Issue 156a), we started chatting about her new horse Callaho Lansink with whom she is competing in the 1.35m classes. At this point, the conversation went in quite a different direction, and we couldn’t resist sharing this extra content with you. If you were impressed with Zandi Alcock before – you’ll be blown away now! HQ: So, we were watching one of the live streams, and it was mentioned that you were doing some horsemanship work on the ground with your horses. Could you tell us a bit about that? Zandi: They were referring to the fact that I have been doing some horsemanship work with Lansink because he is very anxious and gets stressed. From this, I started working with Favour the Bold, and he has also benefitted hugely.

HQ: What made you look into horsemanship as an option? Zandi: It was actually an article I read in HQ written by Shelley Wolhuter about the horse’s ‘Worry Cup’. I hadn’t thought too much about the anxiety in my horses or how to identify the signs, but reading the article shed some light on it for me. After reading it, I approached Shelley about her work with horses to find out if she could do anything to help me with Lansink. HQ: So, what were some of the difficulties you had experienced with Lansink? Zandi: So Ray Korber had Lansink for seven years before I got him. He had done so exceptionally well with him, but one of the issues was that he was difficult to mount for some reason. At home, he was absolutely fine, but at shows, he would spin away and manoeuvre himself so you couldn’t get on. Ray told us before we got him about the issue and explained that once you are on Lansink,

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HORSE AND RIDER

Zandi and Callaho Lansink share a close bond.

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HORSE AND RIDER

Callaho Lansink has an impressive jump!

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you can’t adjust your stirrups or girth, and you can't have someone on the ground hand you something. You must just ride. If you do try to do any of those things, he will shy away and bolt. So, when Lansink first came home, we knew about these issues and assumed we would cope with them. I remember one day it was raining, and it took us an hour to get on him even at home. My solution in response to this was to get on him in the stable, but at shows, that is obviously much more difficult. HQ: What made you realise this was anxiety and not just ‘bad behaviour’? Zandi: Look, I spend a lot of time with my horses. I tack them up myself; I groom them a lot of the time, and sometimes I sit and read to them. I know it sounds crazy, but I love to do it. This allows me to really get to know them. Getting to know Lansink, I realised how gentle and sweet he is. He actually wouldn’t hurt a fly, and there is just this softness in his eye that that made me think he wasn’t acting in this way to be malicious or naughty. I just knew it had to be something deeper. All I knew about horsemanship was the Heartland stuff with Monty Roberts style Join Up and certainly didn’t think of it as helping anxiety. But, like I said, I was reading HQ and saw the article on horse anxiety and started thinking about it. It made me wonder if I should do some relationship work with Lansink as I thought it could help him. So from there, I contacted Shelley, and since I started with her, my bond with my horses has transformed. I am so much more aware of them and their emotional state. I no longer look at them as naughty and instead try to understand what they are trying to tell me. HQ: What work did you do with Shelley? Zandi: We took it right back to the basics. We allow him to show us when he is anxious and then show him that we have noticed his anxiety. This is a process known as attunement. We then use techniques to bring him down from the peak of anxiety in a stressful situation. We also use quite a bit of focus work, which helps him learn to concentrate on me rather than the stressor, and we developed specific approaches to suit each situation. For example, when Lansink is stressed, he sometimes nibbles on me, so what I do in that situation is to stop and give him a stroke on his forelock and muzzle to release some dopamine but also to show him that I’ve noticed he is stressed. This works really well when I’m on the ground with him.

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Zandi and Favour the Bold

HQ: What are you working on with Bold at the moment? Zandi: Bold is obviously sensitive and anxious in his own way. Something we have been working on with him is consent. He hates grooming and, even with the softest brush, will turn his bum towards me to show his distaste! So, with Shelley, we worked on this. Every time he shows distress or lifts up his back leg, I take a step back and back off to show him that I noticed his discomfort. Showing him that I noticed and took a step back in response means that he trusts me to listen to him and take his concerns seriously. This then translates into other situations where he trusts me to listen to him when he tells me he is uncomfortable or stressed. HQ: Have you seen tangible results from your training? Zandi: Definitely! At Shongweni, I said to Ray that I wanted to get on him after the prize giving, and he stood absolutely perfectly for me to mount. So many people are starting to notice the change in him. At SA Champs I hopped off to do my boot check, and the lady said, “Oh no, don’t get off, you won’t be able to get back on!” and I said to her, “No, he will be okay”, and he was perfectly fine. It’s so nice to have such a clear difference after a short amount of time. I’m excited to see where this horsemanship journey can take me!

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ULCERS DURING TRAVEL Recent research suggests that if you plan a long trip with your horse or your horse travels regularly, you need to consider gastric ulcer prevention. Gastric ulcers, which are lesions of the stomach lining associated with inflammation, can cause pain, weight loss and attitude changes in the horse. Common causes for gastric ulcers are highconcentrate diets, long-term use of non-steroidal antiinflammatory medications and stress. Research has shown that simply transporting a horse to a different location and staying there overnight can induce gastric ulcers in horses, even in those who are regular travellers and do not seem outwardly concerned about the experience. With this in mind, it is probably worth putting a horse that regularly travels onto an ulcer-preventing feed or supplement and then treating him the day before an overnight trip with a preventative dose of omeprazole paste. Even with preventative ulcer treatments, you need to be sure to provide a travelling horse with lots of water and unlimited forage to keep his digestive system functioning as normally as possible.

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DID YOU KNOW? HORSES DO NOT HAVE GALLBLADDERS.

In humans and most other mammals, the gall bladder stores bile made by the liver and releases it into the small intestine as needed to digest lipids (fats) after meals. Horses, however, evolved to eat constantly throughout the day, so they do not store bile, so they have no need for a gall bladder.

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THE PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT

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ARTHRITIS MANAGEMENT One of the best ways to manage older horses with arthritis is to keep them moving. Slow, regular exercise supports joint health in two main ways: 1. It boosts lubrication of the joints by circulating synovial fluid. 2. It keeps the muscles, tendons and ligaments that stabilise a joint strong. The less an older arthritic horse stands around, the healthier his joints will be. Exercise for an older horse with arthritis doesn’t have to be under saddle. Turnout with an active but friendly group of horses in a good-sized paddock can be sufficient. Even handwalking, ideally a couple of times a day, is better than nothing. Don’t worry if your horse looks a bit stiff to start with. If you let him move at his own speed, he will ‘warm-up’ and move more comfortably after just a few minutes. The key to this management option is consistency. Every day your horse spends confined to his stable or standing in a confined space contributes further to joint degeneration.

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E L E VA T I O N C O L L E C T I O N

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HORSE AND RIDER TEXT: TARRYN STEBBING (NATIONAL CANDIDATE SHOWING JUDGE)

WHAT MAKES A GOOD

SHOW HORSE KNOWING WHAT TO LOOK FOR

here are five fundamentals required in a top show horse. Do not be disheartened if your horse does not possess all these qualities; few horses do. However, certain aspects cannot be overlooked, and these must be considered before entering the ring. These five are as follows:

1. CONFORMATION Conformation is important in any equestrian discipline, but with showing being the equivalent of a beauty pageant for horses, imperfections are frowned upon far more harshly than in, say, dressage. The reason we look at conformation is ultimately to give us an idea of how the horse will cope with work and if he or she is likely to remain sound, as bad conformation is often the reason behind injuries and lameness. Whilst there is no such thing as a perfectly conformed horse, a well-formed skeletal structure with good, strong bone will go a long way in helping our horses achieve the tasks we ask of them. These are the horses we want to breed with to increase the chance of creating strong, sound offspring. Look for a horse with straight legs, clean bone and joints and solid, even feet. A good back and well set on neck will help with comfort under saddle.

2. MOVEMENT A show horse should show a good four-beat walk and a well-balanced canter that looks light and easy to sit. The canter should be easily pushed into a smooth lengthening or extension without tension. A beautiful floaty trot is always an advantage, and it is imperative that the horse is able to show a good lengthening of stride; however, the trot is a gait that can be improved with correct work. Your hunters are required to show a strong gallop that covers ground but is easily brought back. This is often the crowdpleaser in the show ring. For showing, a horse needs to move as straight as possible when observed from the front and behind. Any dishing, swinging or closeness of the limbs, for example, whilst moving, is undesired and will certainly count against the horse. 3. SOUNDNESS The horse’s gaits need to be regular, and the horse should appear comfortable and free of pain in all areas. Tripping is dangerous and undesirable. Besides the obvious soundness in movement, a show horse also needs to be sound in breathing. You cannot have a hunter who is required to gallop who cannot get sufficient air into his lungs. Any permeant respiratory disorders such as whistling and roaring are taboos in the ring. HQ|157A

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4. MANNERS Manners are paramount in any show class. A horse may be asked to leave the arena at any time for bad behaviour. Behaviour generally comes down to schooling; however, ground manners are just as important! Manners need to be enforced consistently at home as well as at a show. A wellmannered horse should, amongst other things, respect your space, stand when asked, and remain still whilst the rider or judge mounts. In order to be able to execute a good performance, the horse must be schooled and easy to ride and must understand your aids as well as his job in the ring. A horse with a good temperament goes a long way and is an asset, but even some hot-headed horses can be produced to be a great competitor with a skilled and patient handler or rider. 5. QUALITY A good show horse needs to have that extra little something. We refer to this as quality. Some examples of quality would be a beautiful head; a gleaming coat; well

OUR EXPERT Tarryn Stebbing (National Candidate Showing Judge)

set, open eyes; a proud presence; and the desire to show himself off. This is often what separates the good from the best!

TAKE HOME MESSAGE Remember, there is no such thing as a perfect horse. So, find out which of these traits your horse processes or which you could possibly enhance through training or turnout, and then play up to their strengths! When you focus on what your horse is good at, you might be surprised at what you can achieve! HQ|157A

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HORSE AND RIDER

TEXT: TARRYN STEBBING (NATIONAL CANDIDATE SHOWING JUDGE)

Show Rider of the Month DAWN NEWMAN

awn is based in the Western Cape. She is an Open Showing Rider and has represented the Western Cape numerous times in our South African Showing Nationals. She competes in Small Tour in Dressage and is a National Level Showing Judge. Besides having a consistently good year in the ring on her beautiful horse Callaho Lincoln, she was crowned Supreme Showing Champion at this year’s South African Showing Championships 2021 held at Mistico Equestrian Centre in the Western Cape. I chatted to Dawn and asked her a few quick questions:

WHAT IS YOUR TOP TIP FOR SHOWING? My top tip for showing and for every other discipline is to be prepared! Arrive at the venue with plenty of time to spare; write a list of the things you need to pack for the show and pack your car the night before; put your clothes out the night before; and get all your trucking gear ready so that on the morning of the event everything runs like clockwork. You are bound to be nervous, and prior preparation just gives you one less thing to worry about. WHICH IS YOUR FAVOURITE CLASS TO COMPETE IN? I absolutely love the show riding class; it is always the strongest class and attracts the most competitors. The horses are flashy, need to be well-schooled, and the test

needs to be a bit more complex than the show hack test, for example. The horses that I ride generally fall into this category.

DO YOU PREFER A PULLED OR PLAITED TAIL? If you asked me six months ago, I would have said plaited, but I have become a converted pulled tail fan! It always looks neat both in the show ring and outside, and I’m a bit of a neat freak, so this works for me. NEVER WOULD I EVER (IN THE SHOW RING)... Give up or give in; I fight until the bitter end – you may be pulled into line last and end up winning the class. You can never be sure of the result until the final rosette has been handed out. IF I AM NOT ON A HORSE I AM... Working hard as the Chief Revenue Officer at Kuda Insurance (also my main sponsors); shopping with my sister, Lisa (we deserve national colours for this!); and spending time with my precious nieces. YOUR LIFE MOTTO OR A QUOTE THAT YOU LIVE BY? Unless you believe in yourself, nobody else will believe in you. HQ|157A

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The Eohippus, or Dawn Horse

EVOLUTION It’s easy to believe that the horse’s body evolved primarily for riding, when in fact the horse’s body and the way it functions is the result of millions of years of evolution, not domestication. As a consequence, domestication had very little effect on horse behaviour compared to evolution. To give some idea of just how brief the period of domestication has been in the scale of evolution: • 60 million years ago the ancestor of the horse (the Eohippus) roamed the earth. • 12,000 years ago horses were kept exclusively as a source of meat. • A few 1000 years ago horses were ridden for the very first time. • A bout 100 years ago, with the increase in machinery and improvements in technology, horses started to be used for recreation and sport only.

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It doesn’t matter how old I get - I still want a pony for Christmas!

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5 QUESTIONS EQUESTRIANS ASK THEMSELVES AT CHRISTMAS 1. How am I going to afford Christmas presents for humans, when all I want to spend money on is my horse?! 2. How much tinsel is it acceptable for me to wear on our yard’s Christmas ride? 3. Is it greedy to ask Santa for a new saddle? 4. How quickly can I leave everyone on Christmas Day to go and see my horse? 5. Will my horse be jealous if I leave a carrot out for the reindeer?

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Christmas cracker jokes WHAT DOES RUDOLPH WANT FOR CHRISTMAS? A PONY SLEIGH STATION.

WHY CAN’T HORSES DANCE AT CHRISTMAS? BECAUSE THEY HAVE TWO LEFT FEET…

WHAT DID THE STALLION DO AT CHRISTMAS? HE PULLED A CRACKER.

THIS CHESTNUT WON’T BE ‘ROASTING ON AN OPEN FIRE’

WHY COULDN’T THE PONY SING CHRISTMAS CAROLS? BECAUSE HE WAS A LITTLE HORSE.

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CHRISTMAS POLE EXERCISE #1 THE CHRISTMAS STAR SET-UP • You will need ten poles • Set the poles up as shown in the diagram below. HOW TO RIDE IT • In this exercise, go over the midpoint of each arm of the star to the next one by doing a small circle in between. • To increase the difficulty, you can add cavalettis or bounces. • Make sure to do this exercise on both reins equally.

Oh, what fun it is to ride!

CHRISTMAS POLE EXERCISE #2 THE CHRISTMAS TREE SET-UP • Ideally, you will need 14 poles, but you can build the ‘tree’ less tall if needed. • Set the poles up as shown in the diagram below. HOW TO RIDE IT • The aim of this exercise is to go down the first corridor of poles at walk, the leg-yield down to the next corridor of poles and so on until the last corridor. • Walk out at the top of the tree, ride a circle and ride back in to the top of the tree. • You can then descend the tree on the other side. • Make sure to do this exercise in both directions equally.

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HORSE AND RIDER

OPTIMISING YOUR PSYCHOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE PART 3: MENTAL IMAGERY

isualisation, or mental imagery, has shown consistent and reliable benefits within the sporting realm when used by amateurs and Olympians alike. This technique arms the athletes with a creative and effective way to use their imagination as a tool to programme their minds in order to perform to the utmost of their capabilities. The controlled and systematic nature of visualisation training surrounding sports performance leads to the development of pertinent and advantageous neuronal connections between the central nervous system and the athlete’s muscles – essentially, your body becomes better at

performing an activity if you effectively visualise it. Just like the actual movement, visualisation of performance leaves traces on the brain; as such, the beneficial nature of these skills cannot be understated for both professional athletes and all others who wish to perform at an above-average level.

WHY DOES IT WORK? While visualisation seems like a relatively easy undertaking, the successful application of this psychological skill is intricate, and the results are profound. Used religiously by HQ|157A

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many Olympic athletes, research has continually shown the neurological benefits of this practice on performance. The foundational theory behind visualisation techniques is the psychoneuromuscular theory, which posits that vivid and controlled mental imagery leads to the activation of areas of the brain that mimic brain activation during the execution of the sporting activity. Visualisation identifies benefits in the following areas: • Improvement of concentration • Regulation of emotional responses • Mental training during off-time • Competition preparation • Enhancement of problem-solving capabilities Its combination with the preceding mindfulness training (and the goals thereof) allows for the ability to attend only to the relevant stimuli and reduces the possibility for mental overload during competition.

HOW IS IT DONE? The core components of visualisation are vividness and control; these two elements separate effective visualisation from regular imagination. Vividness refers to the incorporation of all elements into the visualisation – you must picture the crowd, be able to feel the horse’s mane; these components are vital and will develop with practice. The reason vividness is so important is that it increases the accuracy of the scenario. Accurate visualisation utilises the same neural pathways as the actual movement, and the more a pathway is used – the stronger it gets. Visualisation is not an attempt to convince yourself of a scenario; it is the mental training of the relevant neural pathways that allows for strengthening and heightened performance. Similarly, controllability requires a fair degree of training, as one needs to gain control over one’s mind in order to only visualise what one intends to. It may sound easy, but often in your own mental imagery, you will be in the arena and won’t clear the jump, even if you wanted to visualise clearing it – how to control your visualisation is a core component of understanding how to successfully apply this technique. In order to provide you with a beneficial, practical way to apply visualisation to your daily life, I have included two exercises that are designed to enhance the vividness and controllability of your visualisation – once you feel that your mental imagery is vivid and controlled, only then should you start to visualise a competition setting. HQ|157A

EXERCISE ONE: VIVIDNESS Imagery preceded by relaxation techniques have proven significantly more effective; this is one of the main reasons that coherent breathing is the common foundation throughout this series. As such, we begin by initiating coherent breathing until you have a comfortable and

You need to add colour, and as much detail as possible in your visualisation practice.

HORSE AND RIDER

relaxed rhythm. It is not entirely necessary to have 6 seconds inhale/exhale perfectly, but if you can, then that’s great. Ultimately you just need to feel induced relaxation. Following this, attempt the following vividness exercise: • Visualise yourself sitting in your living room on your couch (or anywhere in the house that you normally sit if you do not have a living room). • Look around and take in all the details; what do you see? Think about the intricacies. What colours are there? What shape are the table legs? What does the carpet look like? What texture is everything? When you visualise something,

think about its shape, texture, colour, etc. • As you are sitting, what sounds do you hear? Where are they coming from? What is the temperature of the room like? What do you smell? • The most important part of this activity is to try and activate all your senses. Be sure to do this slowly; start with vision, develop a clear image and then move on to the others; vividness relies on an assembly of the senses working together. When attempting to visualise vividly, it’s important to try and incorporate as many senses as possible – this is the

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key to successful and vivid visualisation. For this purpose, we always start with a familiar location, as it is easier to be more detailed in our mental imagery. Once you feel like you have gotten the hang of this, you can move on to situations and locations that are not as familiar to you, like the competition arena or even simply the training arena if you find yourself experiencing heightened anxiety around training.

EXERCISE TWO: CONTROLLABILITY Stress and anxiety often interfere with the controllability of our thoughts. Subsequently, our visualisation may not go the way we want it (we would knock over a pole or make mistakes). While mindfulness assists us with this aspect as well, it is important to incorporate controllability training into our visualisation; this allows for clear and accurate mental imagery while also incorporating emotional responses. The following exercise assists with controllability: • We continue by spending a few minutes controlling our breathing again, ensuring an induced feeling of relaxation as close to 6 seconds inhale/exhale as possible. • Visualise yourself in a situation in which you typically lose control of your emotions, tense up, become angry, lose concentration, or lose confidence (this can be missing an knocking a pole, missing a stride, or any aspect that has been causing you difficulty of late). • Now recreate the situation in your head, focusing mainly on the feelings that accompany it, like the anxiety of competing in a big competition. Then go through it in your head, and as you do so, make use of the breathing and mindfulness techniques from the previous articles in this series to be aware of your thoughts and manage the anxiety and stress. Control what you see, hear, and feel. Actively be aware of how it feels and how you calm yourself down. • This training takes time, and you will not be able to control your thoughts and emotions immediately, but over time this leads to control in a number of ways and is one that I would recommend doing as much as possible. The results of this visualisation become autonomous, and you don’t have to think of how to react in a competition setting. HQ|157A

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

HOW CAN I USE THIS FOR MY RIDE? As with all of the other techniques in this series, visualisation is another muscle that needs to be trained before it can be used effectively. It is for these reasons that I included exercises that improve your visualisation capability, as once you have these techniques waxed, you can begin to visualise competitions and anxiety-inducing situations effectively. Visualisation is particularly effective for reducing anxiety surrounding intense competitions – as such, it should be used in the days leading up to competition to reduce the novelty and anxiety felt upon arrival, providing you with a sense that “okay this is fine - I have done this before”. Alternatively, it is particularly helpful for periods of injury (or even lockdown), in which you find yourself unable to train – visualisation will keep the relevant neural pathways active and strong, allowing for a quicker return to normal performance post-injury. TAKE HOME MESSAGE Visualisation provides the final technique in this series aimed at improving your psychological performance. The aim was to provide you with practical methods to increase your psychological performance, using exercises to train your mind. Coherent breathing, mindfulness, and visualisation are techniques that have proven immensely effective at improving athletic performance in past research that I have conducted. They can be used together and interchangeably, depending on which techniques you find most effective for yourself. Should you find them helpful, and would like further information or a more tailored programme, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me.

HORSE AND RIDER

TEXT: KELLY O’CONNOR

SERPENTINE EXERCISE

WITH ROTOVETTI

are delighted to have teamed up with Rotoflo and Kelly O’Connor to provide a series of exercises for riders of all levels. Rotoflo produces the Rotovettis used for this exercise, and we can highly recommend getting yourself a few sets of these cost-effective and versatile training tools. Stay tuned in later issues for more from Kelly and the team.

AIM OF THE EXERCISE • Getting comfortable turning corners • Promotion of self-balance in the horse • Discouraging the rider from balancing the horse on their hands around a turn

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WHAT YOU WILL NEED • 3 x poles • 3-5 sets of Rotovettis SET-UP • Set up your poles in a straight line down the middle of the arena. Place these poles on the Rotovettis. • Take four free-standing Rotovettis and place them in between your poles where you would like to execute your turns. WHAT TO DO Novice: For the novice horse and rider or for the first time executing your serpentine exercise, start at the walk. This will allow you and your horse the time to understand the exercise and to feel any skewness or imbalance. HQ|157A

• Entering the exercise, focus on keeping your horse with a slight inside bend in the direction you are going. Do not allow his body to fall out through the shoulder or hindquarters. You can prevent this by keeping a consistent outside contact from your hand and having your outside leg slightly back and connected against the horse’s side.

NOTE If you restrict your horse's head and neck, preventing him from stretching over the pole you also limit his ability to bascule or round his back over the pole. This in turn won’t allow him to lift his hindquarters to clear the pole.

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• Allow your horse to walk over the pole. You should encourage your horse to keep his head low over the pole to allow his back to stretch over the pole and lift his hindquarters clear when stepping over it. • On the landing side, you want to maintain the consistent pace of your walk and not allow the horse to fall behind your leg or contact. You also do not want them to run away from your leg or push against the contact. This means that you need to maintain a balanced connection between hand and leg, correcting with a half halt and your leg to rebalance if necessary. • In the turn of the serpentine focus on having the correct inside bend, where the horse rounds their body around your leg. It’s important that you maintain an outside leg and hand contact, so the horse doesn’t fall to the outside or over bend to the inside. When turning your horse, you don’t want a backward pull on the rein; you want to take your inside rein away from the horse’s neck to guide them around the turn. • Now on the straighter part of the S, you prepare your horse for the change in direction. First, you need to straighten up your body by bringing your hands together evenly next to the horse’s neck and placing both legs evenly against the horse’s side. Allow your horse to go

over the pole and then adjust your aids for the new bend. Establish your new inside rein and bend and the new outside supporting aids. • It’s really important that you focus on yourself as a rider and the aids you are giving to your horse. If you pull back on the reins, it must be to indicate to the horse to slow down or rebalance himself. You cannot use your reins as a safety mechanism for reassurance for yourself, as this often causes the horse to start to lean on the your hands and lose all self-carriage. Medium: Once you are really comfortable in the walk, I would suggest you move up into the medium level of the exercise, which would be in trot. All the same leg and hand aids remain. Advanced: Before you move up into the more advanced level of the exercise and ask your horse to canter, you and your horse must be fully comfortable in the trot. Once again, the leg and hand aids remain the same. If you get to a point where you feel like things are happening too fast and your horse doesn’t understand what you want from them, go back to a trot or a walk. I would recommend repeating the exercise.

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H O R S E A N D YA R D

BITLESS BRIDLES THE OPTIONS

here are a wide variety of bitless bridles available. Here we look at some of the main types and how each of them works:

BOSAL HACKAMORE The Bosal Hackamore is a traditional Western Bridle brought to America in the 1700s by the Spanish Vaqueros. It consists of the bosal nosepiece, hanger and 22’ mecate reins, which are traditionally made from horsehair. A bosal is made from rawhide braided around a rawhide core. Used as a signal device, it applies contact on the nose, chin and jaw.

NOTE You need to choose a correctly fitting bridle based on your horse’s facial conformation and responses to the points of contact of the bridle.

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NATURAL HACKAMORE This type of bitless bridle is a combination of a high-quality braided rope halter and mecate reins wrapped around the fiador knot of the halter. The mecate reins allow you to adjust the length of the rein to that which is most suitable for your horse before finishing the wrap to give a ground line that is tied to the saddle when riding.

H O R S E A N D YA R D

SIDEPULL Defined by two rings on either side of the noseband to which the reins attach, the sidepull is one of the gentlest forms of bitless bridle around. Working on direct rein aids, the contact points are clearly presented on the sides of the noseband when the reins are applied individually and on the nose when both reins are applied simultaneously. There is no leverage effect. This makes the communication from the sidepull very clear.

Natural Hackamore

CROSSUNDER This is commonly referred to as the Dr Cook bridle. It distributes pressure over a larger surface area than many other bitless bridles and the pressure is applied on the opposite side to the rein used (i.e. the indirect rein). Creating an ‘x’ under the horse’s chin, it makes contact points under the jaw, across the cheek, and up to the poll with a single rein. Downward contact on the nose is produced when both reins are applied at the same time. SCRAWBRIG The Scrawbrig is a noseband with a ring on each side, with a strap that loops under the chin through the two rings. The reins attach to two further rings, one on each end of the strap. When the rein is applied, the curb strap applies pressure primarily in the chin groove but also downwards on the nose. This creates a constricting effect. JAQUIMA The Jaquima is more commonly known as the Paso Fino bridle because it is the bridle traditionally used for this breed of Spanish-gaited horse. The Jaquima is a dual bridle that can be used with single or double reins. Each bridle has a side-pull option, with two separate rings located underneath on the curb strap to form a curb-ring hackamore effect.

Mechanical Hackamore

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H O R S E A N D YA R D

Bosal Hackamore

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H O R S E A N D YA R D

Sidepull

Multi-bridles and attachments

MULTI-BRIDLES AND ATTACHMENTS Some bridles feature multiple options. Multibridles have three or more interchangeable settings that often come with various attachments and accessories. Noseband attachments are also available to add to existing bridles to convert them to bitless bridles. This avoids having to purchase a brand new bridle.

DUAL BRIDLES This type of bitless bridle allows the use of either a single or double rein. Dual bridles are available in a variety of designs, most commonly featuring a side-pull and curb combination.

MECHANICAL HACKAMORE This is defined by the presence of shanks in varying lengths and designs, acting via leverage with the contact points on the face, primarily the nose, chin groove and poll. The amount of leverage varies according to the length and shape of the shank. The smaller the shank, the lower the leverage forces applied. HQ|157A

FOCUS

THE ROMAN NOSE A Roman nose on a horse is when there's a bump somewhere on the part of the nose that falls between his forehead and his nostrils. Basically, it's a convex profile and the opposite of a dished head. Convex heads are generally associated with draft horses, Baroque horse breeds and other horse breeds from colder regions.

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

TEXT: CHRISTINE PINNA

HOME SWEET HOME

CHOOSING A HOOF-FRIENDLY YARD

hile I have come across many extremely wellmanaged yards that are horse and hoof-friendly and more than willing to accommodate management changes, I have also sadly dealt with many a distressed horse owner who is faced with the opposite scenario. After doing some research and deciding to go barefoot with their horse, they discover much to their horror that their ‘wonderful’ yard is not on board with their decision. Worse, the yard manager seems to want to make all of the decisions for their client's horse while the client pays all of the bills. Sound fair? Probably more needs to be written about the bullying that goes on in these sorts of situations where some managers even go as far as jeopardising horse and rider safety in an attempt to prove themselves ‘right’. I'm sure that scenarios, where simple requests such as feed changes or the raising of hygiene issues are received with contempt, will sound familiar to many horse owners. It's not that these are new problems. They've been there the entire time, but the horse owner, armed with new information and open eyes, is seen as a threat to the manager, who has probably been doing the same thing for the last thirty years and is unwilling to change. Nobody wants to admit that they were wrong, and maybe they actually weren't - the information just wasn't there back then, and times have since changed. Sadly, in almost all of these cases, the horse owner and yard have to part ways in order to find something more suitable for their horse and often their sanity. Those who stay try their best to make it work, usually due to yard/ work/home location or there simply being no better option. Having said this, even these loyal individuals are still keeping their eyes open for the right place and they'll be off in a shot when it comes about. If you are the horse owner who is thinking of taking your horse barefoot but wary as you are going to run into trouble at your current yard, or you have taken your horse

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barefoot, and you're looking for a different yard due to the above issues, read on. Below I will go through the various aspects of barefoot hoof care from the most important to least important. While they are all conducive to helping your horse to develop healthy and strong bare feet, you may have to sacrifice something along the way. For shod horse owners who want to do better for their horses, hopefully you will find some value in this article too.

DIET I may be starting to sound like a broken record by now, but I cannot over-emphasise how crucial this is if you want a horse with strong hooves. Diets low in roughage and high in concentrates containing mielies and molasses will not result in strong hooves or a particularly healthy horse. Check with the yard as to what they feed, and more importantly - are you able to feed whichever food you choose? Perhaps the yard by chance feeds what you feed already or are planning to feed, but what if it turns out that your horse is allergic to one of the ingredients, or you Your horse needs an adequate supply of forage in order to maintain his general health and his hoof health.

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

How much of the time will your horse be stabled?

find an even more suitable feed down the line? Flexibility is key here. Other questions to consider are whether the yard will feed any supplements you choose for your horse and whether they feed sufficient roughage? Horses eat almost constantly and need free-choice access to typically low sugar roughage such as eragrostis or teff. NOTE: If you are planning to have the roughage tested, find out if the yard gets their hay from the same farm consistently before going to this expense.

HYGIENE Living out with access to a shelter is ideal for developing strong hooves, healthy bodies and sane minds. If this is not possible at the yard or in the area due to African Horse Sickness, then what is their protocol for stable cleaning? Do they remove urine and manure thoroughly each morning? Is the bedding clean and thick? Dirty stables are terribly corrosive to hooves and can be another deciding factor as to whether your horse will have strong hooves or not.

You then need to find out exactly how many hours your horse will be stabled. This is sometimes wholly overlooked, and you might be surprised to find your horse standing in most of his day with only an hour or two of turnout. If his diet is good and the stable is cleaned pedantically many times a day, he may still maintain healthy hooves, but the lack of movement will do nothing to improve on them. Worse yet, this is just a terrible arrangement if you want a calm and sane horse who gets some sort of joy out of life. A relatively common complaint we hear is an owner suddenly finding their horse to be far too dangerous to ride with the sudden lack of turnout. This is not a sustainable situation. Lastly and very importantly, are the horses' hooves picked out daily? This needs to be done in the morning when leaving the stable and again when returning in the afternoon. The former is quite commonly neglected, meaning the horse stands with dirty bedding and manure in his hooves all day, has them cleaned out briefly when he goes back into the stable and then stands back in the dirty bedding.

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HOOF CARE PROVIDER Are you allowed to choose your own hoof care provider, or does the yard enlist the services of only one hoof care provider? Is this someone reputable who you would like to use? Do they understand how a barefoot trim works and how to utilise alternative forms of hoof protection instead of metal shoes? Of course, the above applies to other professionals such as vets, chiropractors, saddle fitters and dentists too. PADDOCKS While it goes without saying that paddock fencing should be as safe as possible, the amount of space in the paddock is often overlooked. If you can avoid paddocks that are barely larger than the size of a stable, please do. Horses need space to move, run and play, and while they do this, they are stimulating and strengthening their hooves. The more space they have, the less chance they have of standing in manure which also helps to keep hooves clean and healthy. Ask the yard how often the paddock is cleaned? I recommend doing this daily or at the very least every second day in paddocks of about a hectare or two in size. You need to do it every day or twice daily if the

paddock is smaller than that. Will your horse have a companion or be in a herd? Specifically, which paddock would they put him in? If you want horse to live out, is this possible? What if your horse was to develop a respiratory condition or arthritis which would require fresh air and constant movement? Would he be accommodated? Is there a shelter in the field or at least good shelter in the form of trees and bushes? What is the blanketing protocol? Is it in line with your own?

FINAL THOUGHTS While the first prize is to find that yard that is designed for barefoot horses with owners or managers that are holistically minded, flexible-thinking barefoot advocates, most people won't find these too easily as they are still in the minority. To further complicate the situation, these yards often check all of the boxes listed here and then completely miss others you need to ride your horse or compete. As an added issue, the yards I know of that

Are you able to use the hoof care provider you prefer?

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

Horses need space to move and ideally companionship from conspecifics.

check all of these boxes seldom have any openings, which is no surprise. Should more natural yards be thinking in the lines of jacking up facilities to accommodate the rise in barefoot competition horses? This would include improving arenas and perhaps offering smaller night paddocks with shelters for horses who are used to stabling or paddocks for pairs or smaller numbers of horses if owners are nervous about their horses being in large herds. Grooms may need to be educated with regards to blanketing and grooming needs which may not be as relevant for some horses living more naturally. With the rise in barefoot competition horses, should traditional yards be coming to the party and thinking out of the box to support their clients and the horses under their care? Somewhere there is a middle ground that, while not perfect, will make a lot of holistically-minded horse owners a lot happier. In closing, it will probably be impossible to find the perfect yard that checks every single box and gets everything right all of the time. But, you don't need to find the perfect yard in order for your horse to be happy and barefoot with healthy hooves. If you are looking at moving to a new yard, write down a pros and cons list to gain perspective and decide what is most important to you

while considering your horse's health and happiness. You will need to decide what you can compromise on and what you absolutely cannot.

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We are dedicated to socks. You won't want to wear anything else. Our riders agree.

www.calicoequestrian.com

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

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED WITH EPVSA – REGENSPORTSMED

What is sport’s medicine? Why am I hearing more about sports’ medicine now? Is it any different to what my vet has always done for my horses?

Sports medicine in the human field focuses on the specialist treatment of acute injuries, with a particular focus on regaining full form and function at a highperformance level. There is also a focus on the prevention of injuries by ensuring that athletes are correctly conditioned for their type and level of sport, and identifying vulnerable areas of the body and working at strengthening, supporting or proactively treating them to delay or prevent the onset of injury. The nature of sports medicine means that there is a more holistic assessment of the athlete’s body from the balance of the feet and their flight path to the correct biomechanics, muscle activation and timing. In horses, equine sports medicine and rehabilitation aim at “promoting expertise in the structural, physiological,

medical and surgical needs of athletic animals and the restoration of normal form and function after injury or illness.” Sports medicine for your horse will normally, therefore, involve your Sports Medicine Vet, a specialised physiotherapist, farrier etc. With so many of us owning athletic horses who we would like to keep in top competition condition, sports medicine has grown in popularity over the last few years. INFO For more information on the role of sports medicine in the life of your competitive horse contact: Kerry on 072 914 8870 Or equiprovetZA@icloud.com Mandy on 084 552 0003 Or mandy.equiprovet@gmail.com Alternatively visit their website at www.regensportsmed.co.za

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EQUAAN 1000 - The one to BEAT!

“Keeping performance horses sound, happy and injury free, is a skill on its own. Sport horses are expensive to keep and take years to school and build relationships with. That is why it is so important to preserve them for as long as possible. EQUAAN has been a game changer for me. The horses feel great on it and knowing that I do what I can to preserve their careers, is a comfort for me as a rider. GIVING BACK TO MY HORSES IS IMPORTANT TO ME” - Belinda Martin

NO MESS, NO FUSS, NO WASTAGE - Assists in the prevention of osteoarthritis - Acts as an anti-inflammatory - Protects cartilage - Increases joint metabolism and fluid - Increases quality and viscosity of joint fluid - Only one ovule a week for maintenance - 3 ovules is a pre show boost - 1 ovule aids post show recovery - Safe for ulcer prone horses - Assists with the integrity, nutrition and health of soft tissue and fascia

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

TEXT: HANNAH BOTHA, MSC IN EQUINE SCIENCE, NUTRITION ADVISOR FOR EPOL

FOOD SHORTAGES

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

A COMMON CONCERN AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR

o, it's dinner time at the stables, but there's not enough concentrate for your horse. The shop is closed (typical!) - what an absolute disaster! The horse will almost certainly starve – right?! Wrong. Everyone has been there, and it's really not such a huge deal. Yes, disrupting a horse's routine and dietary plan is never ideal, but the horse isn't going to be concerned about missing a few meals of his favourite concentrate. Why? Because he gets hay. This is one factor that humans often overlook when feeding our horses. We obsess about what's going into the bucket but forget that actually a horse's diet shouldn't be made up of only concentrate feed but rather should be made up of roughage (hay and grazing) with a small amount of concentrate added on top to make up for any nutrients not supplied by his roughage. This means that missing a

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few buckets of food here or there will not be a huge cause for concern as long as the horse continues to have access to ad lib forage or grazing.

SO WHAT SHOULD BE DONE? Well, if the horse is going to miss out on a meal or two, then simply ensure he has ad lib access to hay 24/7. This means you provide as much grass as he wants to eat. This may involve checking him more frequently so that the hay does not run out, or if you can't get to the yard often enough to do this, simply pop a full bale in his stable or paddock to ensure he can munch away to his heart's content. Perhaps you can also give him some extra time in the paddock to ensure he can eat as much grass as he likes before coming into his stable, or maybe (if the horse is happy and used to being out) he could stay out 24/7 in his paddock to allow him to graze constantly.

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

COULD BORROWED FEED BE USED? If it's the same as your horse's food, then by all means, but it is not such a good idea if it's different. We all know that sudden changes to a horses diet can be problematic. It takes the horse's digestive system 7-10days to adapt to something new in the diet, and so, with this in mind, changing suddenly for only two meals and then changing back again could put the horse at risk of digestive upset. If the feed is in short/no supply for several weeks (due to the manufacturer closing down or being cut off due to floods or natural disasters) then, yes, it may be wise to start something new. However, take the time, and introduce this new feed slowly and over the 7-10 days mentioned above. WON'T HE LOSE OUT ON ESSENTIAL VITAMINS AND MINERALS? Maybe for a couple of meals, but this really isn't going to be a big problem if it is a very short term issue. If you know you're going to be out of food for a long time (several weeks), then, yes, this is more concerning, and you may want to see if you can at least get hold of a vitamin and mineral supplement or balancer. BUT HE IS AGITATED AND SEEMS STARVING? Yes - the horse may call and seem cross, but this is more to do with the fact he is expecting his food at a specific time, and now his routine has been disrupted. Combat this by providing some carrots or apples in a bowl with a little chopped hay (get out the scissors), and he will be quite

thankful. No matter what type of concentrate food is given, it should never be being fed to curb a horse's hunger but rather to supplement him with key nutrients, so true hunger is unlikely to be the cause of the agitation. Hay and grazing should be what keep your horse full so as long as he has these, he will be fine.

BUT THE HORSE IS PREGNANT, YOUNG OR OLD? Again we all know running out of food is not ideal, but it happens, and even to horses in important life stages such as these, one or two meals will make no difference. SHOULD I CONTINUE WITH MY SUPPLEMENTS? If supplements are being given and the horse is happy to have them sprinkled on some carrots or apples, then by all means. However, some horses need food to mask the taste of their supplements and so don't be surprised if they don't seem to want them. WHEN I GET FOOD, SHOULD I INTRODUCE IT BACK SLOWLY OVER 7-10 DAYS? If they have been without a couple of meals, i.e. the shortage is for a very brief period, you will not need to introduce slowly in most cases. However, if the horse is prone to digestive upset, then work up to feeding the full daily amount over 2-3 days just to be extra cautious. If the horse has been completely off food for several weeks, then, yes, you will need to take your time to reintroduce.

Ad lib hay is what you need.

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WISHING YOU A WONDERFUL FESTIVE SEASON! We would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude for your continued support throughout the year. We wish you and your family a wonderful festive season and hope 2022 is filled with much success.

For feeding advice and technical support contact: Leigh Adams 083 998 6824 | Hannah Botha 0734235491 | Debbie Dick 076 755 5164 www.epolequine.co.za

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

TEXT: NANCY SCHRODING

IMPROVING EQUINE MUSCLE PERFORMANCE 82

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

ONE BEAT AT A TIME…

quine Transeva Technique or ETT is the technique of re-establishing correct muscle movement and function through rhythmic muscle contractions created by the Winks Greene Transeva. Motor neurons generate electrical impulses to move muscle fibres, and the ETT™ uses rhythmic electrical impulses to create movement and improve muscle function and performance. Hearing the name “Winks Greene” will still jog a fond memory or two for many in the equine industry. Renowned for her work in rehabilitating and improving muscle and soft tissue injuries in horses in the racing industry, Winks tried her best to help whoever needed her, not only the horses. Pigeons, cows, buffalo, dogs and even their owners would come knocking. The Transeva, which she later modified and renamed after herself, was and still often is seen as a “last resort” when really it can do so much more if incorporated into rehab programmes at an earlier stage. This might sound a tad dramatic, but it has given many a second chance at their life/careers.

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DEFINITIONS • Elasticity – the ability to stretch • Contractibilty – the ability to contract and shorten • Irritability – a muscle’s level of sensitivity • Tone – a healthy alertness of a muscle to respond to a stimulus

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

SOFT TISSUE INJURIES When an athlete, be it equine or human, suffers from a soft tissue injury, it is often career-ending. Ask any doctor, and they’ll tell you to rather break a bone than suffer from a soft tissue injury (the obvious exception being a broken leg in a horse). Soft tissue injuries play a major role in early retirement and often euthanasia of horses. By nature, bones have a far better blood supply, and thus in healthy individuals, they heal faster and in fact, stronger. Soft tissue structures take far longer to heal, and when they do, they are far from perfect. For example, the strength and resilience of a tendon lies in its collagenous fibres being neatly arranged to allow for optimal function. However, when damaged, these previously neatly aligned fibres reattach haphazardly, resulting in an area with reduced flexibility, which has a snowball effect on the affected joints and surrounding tissues. Very often, this area is prone to re-injury or simply cannot withstand sport-specific stresses. It is particularly during the initial healing phase where the Winks Greene Transeva has great benefits.

THE TECHNIQUE Transeva sessions/ETT sessions are most easily described as an artificial form of exercise. The rhythmic muscular contractions produced by the Transeva allow the practitioner to assess the muscles’ elasticity, contractibility, irritability and tone. Healthy fit muscles respond very differently to strained or fatigued muscles. Thus it is essential that the practitioner be educated in the muscular system and be able to apply the current correctly where needed. The art of the technique lies in identifying the troublesome muscle or part thereof and then applying rhythmic muscular contractions in a way that will give the horse relief and allow for recreation of the correct movement. With each beat, the practitioner can feel the integrity of the contraction and the release and see how the horse responds, continuously adjusting both pulse and intensity. Having a good understanding of equine behaviour is also beneficial as this will help discern pain reactions from behavioural issues. Very often, however, behavioural issues stem from pain somewhere and will thus also improve with ETT sessions.

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

NOTE To find out more about BSET Academy check out the website here: https://bsetacademy.co.za/

THE HISTORY Sir Charles Strong, who started his physiotherapy career in the 1930s earned his knighthood for the invention of the Strongbox, the predecessor to the Transeva in 1974. Winks apprenticed under him in 1952 and brought a Strongbox back with her when she returned to South Africa 18 months later. She started using it on horses here, but life had other plans for her and only when Sir Charles Strong sent her the updated Transeva did she start making it her career. Over the years, they exchanged many letters discussing cases and treatment strategies. One notable one was Gondolier; a racehorse sent to her rehabilitation centre in the Natal Midlands after sustaining a muscle strain during his morning work. Gondolier was the first patient at the centre and went on to pave a road of recovery success when winning South Africa’s most prestigious race, the Rothman’s Durban July eight months later. On his passing in 1988, Charles Strong left his life’s work to Winks to continue improving the machine and keeping the technique alive. Following in her mentor’s steps, Winks took on apprentices at her rehab centre and started teaching the technique. On her passing in 2010, Winks left the Transeva and the teaching of the technique to her last apprentice Beth Shaw. THE CURRENT STATUS The techniques and methods that have been adapted over the last century, together with the evolution of the

Sir Charles Strong, Gondolier, BSET, Beth

Transeva, are taught at BSET Academy, which Beth Shaw founded in 2008. The course currently spans two years and covers the fundamentals in equine practices as well as the Equine Transeva Technique (ETT). Once students complete the course, they can join The Equine Transeva Technique Association of Accredited Practitioners, founded in 2015. The Association acts as a body to ensure trained individuals uphold the theories and practices as well as encouraging continuous learning amongst members to stay up to date with global developments.

NEXT TIME Don’t miss out on our next article, where we will be discussing when ETT might be of benefit to you and your equine companion.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ETT Visit www.ett-aap.com M: +34 684 13 17 10 E: info@ett-aap.com

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Part 4

Anatomy

Teeth CLASSIFICATION The horse’s teeth are classified according to their position in the mouth of the horse: • Incisor teeth – A horse has 12 incisors: 6 in the upper jaw and 6 in the lower jaw. They are situated at the front of the mouth and are used for biting off and cutting up food. • Canine teeth (otherwise known as tushes) – There are 4 canine teeth, 2 in the upper jaw and 2 in the lower jaw. They are situated in the space between the incisors and the molars and are usually only present in the male horse. • Molars – There are 24 molars, 12 in the upper jaw and 12 in the lower jaw. These are large teeth with rough surfaces, which are used for grinding up food once it is in the mouth. • Wolf teeth – These are two small, shallow rooted teeth which sometimes appear in the upper jaw, just in front of the first molars. They are sometimes removed as soon as they erupt, as they can cause discomfort by interfering with the action of the bit. TERMINOLOGY • The ‘tooth table’ is the biting surface of the tooth. • A ‘dental star’ is secondary dentine deposited in the pulp cavity. • A ‘mark’ is the remains of the infundibulum.

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

TOOTH IMPLANTATION

Root

Embedded crown

5 YEARS OLD The crowns are long and are embedded deep inside the jaw. The roots are short and are still open.

Exposed crown

10 YEARS OLD The teeth have erupted to compensate for wear, and occupy less space in the jaws. The roots are formed, and will close up at approximately 12 years of age.

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

18 YEARS OLD The teeth have very little crown left embedded in the jaws. The roots have closed and are long and prominent.

STRUCTURE • The crown is the part of the tooth which is covered by enamel. Only a small portion of the crown is visible, the rest being embedded in the bones of the jaws. • The root is at the lower end of the tooth; it only forms after the tooth has been in use for some years. • The enamel which covers the crown is the hardest of the parts of the teeth (cement, enamel, dentin). It is the last element to be worn away; the enamel ridges which are left standing on the surface of the tooth help with the grinding of food. • The entire outer surface of the crown is covered with cement – a bone-like substance which is worn away on the biting surface as soon as the tooth comes into use. • In the centre of the newly erupted incisor is a funnelshaped cavity called the infundibulum which extends down into the centre of the tooth. The surface of the infundibulum is also coated with cement. • The bulk of the tooth is formed from dentine, a bone-like tissue which is exposed on the surface of the tooth after the outer coverings of cement and enamel have worn away. • The pulp cavity runs through the centre of the tooth and contains nerves and blood vessels. To prevent these sensitive tissues being exposed as the tooth wears down, the dental pulp inside the cavity is gradually replaced by non-sensitive secondary dentine which appears on the surface of the incisor as the dental star. • The root canal is situated at the very base of the tooth. It is the entry into the pulp cavity; it becomes restricted as the root of the tooth forms.

AGEING As a horse spends many hours of the day grazing, eating not only grass but also other tougher plants, shrubs and even twigs and leaves of trees, the chewing surface of his teeth is being constantly worn away. To allow for this the teeth of the horse are very long with most of the crown embedded deep inside the bones of the jaw and skull, and they carry on growing for most of the horse’s life. It is this process which enables us to determine the age of the horse by examining his teeth. Like all mammals, the horse has two sets of teeth – temporary or deciduous teeth which are later replaced by permanent teeth. The deciduous teeth are smaller and whiter than the permanent teeth and have a distinct neck. The permanent teeth are much larger and yellower in colour. Up to five years of age the eruption and casting of temporary teeth and the replacement by permanent teeth is predictable to within a few months, so estimating the age of the horse can be fairly accurate. However, beyond this age, when all the teeth are permanent, it is necessary to look for other indicators such as the shape and angle of the teeth, and also the marks on the crowns. It is usually the lower incisors which are used to determine the age of the horse. HQ|157A

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

LONG SECTION THROUGH AN INCISOR WITH CROSS SECTIONS SHOWING THE EFFECT OF WEAR.

Infundibulum or cup

6 years old

Cup

9 years old

Mark Crown

15 years old

Root Dental star

Root canal

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Pulp cavity

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

INCISORS AND AGE ESTIMATION DI3 DI1

DI2

DI3 DI2 DI2

DI3 DI1

2 YEARS OLD – a full mouth of temporary incisors is present.

DI1

D13 3 YEARS OLD – the horse now has his permanent central incisors. DI2 PI1

PI1

PI1 4 YEARS OLD – the lateral permanent incisors erupt.

PI2

PI2 5 YEARS OLD – the corner permanent incisors erupt. The horse now has a full mouth of permanent incisors. The corner incisors only start to wear at age 6.

PI3

TIMELINE • A 1-year-old horse has a full mouth of temporary incisors. • By the age of 2, all the temporary incisors are in wear i.e. they are level with the adjacent teeth. • In the mouth of a 3-year-old horse, the central temporary incisors have been shed and replaced by the permanent incisors. • Between the ages of the 3 and 4 the lateral permanent incisors erupt and replace the temporary lateral incisors; so the 4-year-old horse has four permanent incisors in wear. • At 5 years old the corner permanent incisors replace the temporary corner incisors; the 5-year-old horse will have a full mouth of permanent teeth.

PI3

• At 6 years all the incisors are in wear, and all show a central ‘cup’ (or infundibulum). The canine teeth will be present, as they erupt between the ages of 4 and 5. • At 7-years-old the ‘cup’ in the central incisors has disappeared, but the ‘mark’ (an outer ring of enamel filled with cement) will be visible. A hook develops at the back of the upper corner incisors. • At 8 years of age the ‘cup’ has gone from the lateral incisors, but the ‘mark’ is still visible. The ‘dental star’ (secondary dentine exposed in the pulp cavity) can be seen on the central incisors. The 7-year-old hook will have worn away. • At 9 years the ‘cups’ have gone from all incisors, but the ‘marks’ are still present. The ‘dental star’ is now

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

7 YEARS OLD – a hook develops at the rear of the upper corner incisor. This disappears at age 8.

Hook 9 YEARS OLD – another hook develops. Galvayne’s groove appears and the central incisors appear triangular in shape.

Hook

Galvayne's Groove

Cups gone and marks are still present. 15 YEARS OLD – the slope of the incisors increases. Galvayne’s groove reaches half-way down the tooth.

Galvayne's Groove

Dental star 20-25 YEARS OLD – the forward slope of the incisors is even more pronounced. Galvayne’s groove is disappearing down the tooth.

Galvayne's Groove

seen on the lateral incisors, and another hook has formed on the upper corner incisors. The central incisors have become triangular in shape. Galvayne’s Groove (a dark coloured groove appearing on the upper corner incisors) begins to be visible between the ages of 9 and 10. • At 10 years the ‘marks’ are less pronounced, but the ‘dental stars’ are more visible. Galvanyne’s Groove has grown longer. The lateral incisors have become triangular in shape, and all the incisors have begun to slope forwards. • At 12 years the ‘mark’ has gone from the central incisors, but the ‘star’ is still visible. The ‘stars’ are now round and distinct. The shape of all the incisors is triangular.

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KEY DI1 central deciduous/temporary incisor DI2 lateral deciduous/temporary incisor DI3 corner deciduous/temporary incisor PI1 central permanent incisor PI2 lateral permanent incisor PI3 corner permanent incisor • At 15 years the ‘marks’ have gone from every incisor, replaced by a centrall situated ‘dental star’. Galvayne’s Groove extends halfway down the tooth. The angle of the incisors has become noticeably more sloping. • At 19 years Galvayne’s Groove extends all the way down the tooth, but after 20 years the newly erupted corner incisor has no Groove. The Groove gradually decreases in length until it disappears at around the age of 30.

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

TEXT: SHELLEY WOLHUTER, FIRCROFT STUD

PARASITES A STUD FARM’S PERSPECTIVE

n 2017, one of our fillies colicked. The colic was severe, and our local vet was enroute but 40km away. The filly was in immense pain and made every attempt to roll. Despite our efforts to keep her on her feet, she eventually dropped, and we could not get her back up. This unflappable foal was unphased by our threats of being

chased or smacked and ignored our desperate sobs for her to get up. Four adults with straps and towels using every ounce of their strength could not lift the 100kg foal even 1cm off the ground. She had given up fighting. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and our mom shouted, “She’s dying!”. She desperately grasped at a nearby feed sack,

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

shook it violently, and the filly jumped up in surprise. We managed to keep her up and moving until our vet finally arrived. Surgery was not an option, with the nearest hospital being over an hour away, and after a few hours, we were able to pull her through. The diagnosis was gas colic, which was confusing, given the foal could not have possibly consumed anything untoward and there had been no major management changes. After going through the process of elimination to figure out what went wrong, our vet suggested a faecal egg count.

THE RESULTS To our horror, we discovered that she was riddled with ascarids (roundworms), despite our careful and timely deworming schedule. However, at the time, we were following the outdated guidelines of routine deworming with rotated active ingredients. Our foals were on a more frequent schedule than the adult horses, as they are known to be vulnerable to parasites, especially ascarids. Our vet and his colleagues concluded that the colic was caused by the heavy ascarid burden and the damage the parasites had caused to her gut. His recommendation was treatment with a different dewormer, followed by another faecal egg count in 10 days. His suspicion was drug-resistant worms, which was confirmed by the poor performance of said dewormer. The label was irrelevant, as resistance can develop to any drug and can vary from stud to stud. After detailed history taking, our vet suspected that the filly had brought drug-resistant worms from the stud that we bought her from. This made sense, as none of our other horses showed any signs of resistance. THE LESSONS This incident was a huge eye-opener for our stud. How could we trust any dewormer going forward? The supposed ‘gold standard’ treatment failed us terribly. The backup failed too. This prompted more research on parasite management best practices, and we discovered Worm-Ex Lab. This laboratory has taken a special interest in parasite management and offers scientific, evidence-based guidance on parasite control. Despite the lifetime of experience and depth of knowledge that our local vet possessed, he was still unable to advise us on how to deal with the newfound drug-resistant worms. The only reason for this was because it was not his area HQ|157A

Roundworms

of expertise or special interest. He is a brilliant vet and the first one we call with a problem. However, we now know that a topic such as parasites is often complex and deceptive and requires the attention of a parasiteknowledgeable veterinarian. Most veterinarians have their ‘special interest’, such as surgery, lameness, colic etc; few have parasites at the top of their mind.

THE VALUE OF FAECAL EGG COUNTS We have since been performing faecal egg counts for almost three years. We no longer have any signs of drugresistant worms and have total peace of mind that our horses are protected and that we know exactly what we are dealing with. We have not skipped a single horse or pooled

The structure of a roundworm

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

A roundworm egg

any horses’ tests in this period for several reasons. These reasons also form some of the biggest lessons we have learned through this process: • The results are surprising every single time. • Often, only 20% or less of the horses actually need deworming. • Different horses can have high counts on each round of testing. • There are no consistent symptoms of a heavy worm burden in healthy horses. Sometimes the most glossy, dappled horses have the highest worm egg count. • Nothing on the outside of a horse can indicate the performance of a dewormer. • Drug resistance can come from another yard/stud/ visiting horse. • Young horses do not always need to be dewormed. • Drug efficacy (effectiveness) can be highly individual to the horse or the yard. Because of these surprising lessons, we are starkly aware of two simple truths: 1. If you want to know what is going on inside your horse, you have to look (test).

GOT QUESTIONS? Feel free to write to Shelley at HQ Magazine with any questions you would like answered in the upcoming issues!

2. If you want to know whether a dewormer/treatment worked, you have to do a reduction test (retest within 10-14 days post-treatment). Fortunately, reduction tests are free with the Worm-Ex Lab, within a 30-day window period, so cost is not a limiting factor.

TAKE HOME MESSAGE This article aims to shed light on the outdated and dangerous practices of routine or ‘blanket deworming’ and offer a better alternative. The subject of parasite management is complicated and ever-changing, with many untruths still circulating in the horse world today. This article marks the beginning of a regular column on effective parasite management. HQ|157A

Shelley Wolhuter, from Libratum Equus is a Kyalami-based Horsemanship Instructor, with a special focus on:

• Connection, relationships and partnerships with horses

Libratum Equus where science, compassion, mindfulness and philosophy meet to shape a mindset dedicated to imp improving the lives of horses.

• Problem solving in horses, with a particular focus on anxiety issues.

@libratum_equus Libratum Equus www.libratumequus.com 0711896938

YOUR EQUESTRIAN QUESTIONS ANSWERED

What is the correct canter lead?

In the canter, one foreleg reaches further forwards than the other, and this is referred to as the leading leg. To help the horse stay balanced, on the right rein, the leading leg should be the right fore, and on the left rein, it should be the left fore. You will learn to feel if your horse is on the correct

leg, but if you are unsure, you can just glance down at the shoulders to see which one is coming further forwards. You can also ask someone on the ground to tell you when you are on the correct lead, and in this way, you can learn what to look for. If the horse is on the wrong lead, the canter will feel unbalanced and bumpy, and the horse may struggle to remain in the canter. If you do go into canter on the wrong lead, simply bring your horse back to trot and try again.

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For more information or to order WhatsApp/Call : +27 83 646 8952 Email: sales@milmac.co.za Plot 274, Cedar Road, Chartwell, Johannesburg

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Q&A

Can I use rainwater for my horse’s drinking water? Drinking rainwater is not a problem if the water is kept fresh, especially during the warmer months. This is easy to do if it is kept in small containers that can be regularly emptied and cleaned out. All containers must be free from algae – blue-green algae are particularly toxic for horses. Rainwater must also be collected directly, not via a lead roof, for instance, as lead is toxic to horses. Oak trees are also an issue, as fallen leaves can introduce tannins into the water, which give the water a bitter taste, and sometimes discolour it. This can cause a reduction in the palatability of the water, and thus water intake, thereby increasing the risk of impaction colic. Bird faeces also pose a contamination risk and should be checked for regularly. In summary, as long as your horse is happy to drink the rainwater, and the rainwater is kept fresh, clean and in plentiful supply, there should not be any issues.

What are some imaging techniques that can be used in equine dentistry to get a better picture of what is going on in your horse’s mouth? Diagnosing and treating dental problems in horses can be challenging due to the relatively limited information that can be gleaned during a normal clinical examination. A horse’s mouth is narrow and deep, making visualisation from outside particularly challenging. On top of this, diseases of the long tooth roots of the horse do not show on the surface, so it is almost impossible to identify pathologies in these important structures from observation alone. This means that imaging of the mouth is often essential for accurate diagnosis and prognosis in dental conditions. The first imaging technique that can be used to improve visualisation is oral endoscopy. With this technique, a long endoscope is placed in the mouth to better see all the internal structures. The image from the camera is displayed on a screen

(in some cases a mobile phone screen if the vet or dentist is working in the field) to allow the image to be magnified and studied in more detail. Another imaging option is to take X-rays. X-Rays create 2D images of the complex 3D structures of the teeth, so can also be a bit limited. However, they still allow vets and dentists to get a good understanding of what is going on in the roots of the teeth. X-Rays also give a view of the relative positioning of the teeth and how this position relates to adjacent structures. If X-Rays do not provide a sufficiently accurate reconstruction for the vet or dentist to make a diagnosis or advise on a treatment plan, then a CT scan is likely to be recommended. A CT scan allows multi-plane imaging of the skull and can generate 3D reconstructions of the horse’s mouth. This is really the only imaging method that allows a complete evaluation of the teeth and nearby structures. Unfortunately it is very expensive and only performed at specialist centres!

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Q&A

TOP TIP If your horse becomes particularly tense in any exercise or type of work, it is advised that you keep the sessions with this work short and intersperse them with work that he finds relaxing and less challenging. ‘Drilling’ and ‘flooding’ your horse with a particular exercise or type of work will only increase tension. You will not get to a point where he truly relaxes during the work by pushing him ‘enough’ that he 'gets over it’. All you will achieve by this approach is getting him to shut down to cope or leading him to perform behaviours you don’t want to try and escape and avoid the situation. Patience is key! My horse gets very tense during pole-work. What can I do to help him with this? Firstly, you need to make sure that it really is your horse that gets tense about pole work and not you, yourself! Often we have certain activities that make us more nervous than others, and our horse detects our anxiety and behaves accordingly. We’re not saying this is an issue in your case, but just that it is something to bear in mind. It can also be a combination of factors, in that your horse is a bit tense, which makes you a bit tense, and then the two of you feed off each other’s anxiety, and the situation escalates. In this instance, doing pole work on another horse, preferably a schoolmaster, could help you feel more confident helping your own horse with pole work. If we assume, however, that your horse is the root of the problem,

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we need to come back to the fact that every horse has a unique personality and set of likes and dislikes. This means that, in some cases, there will be a past incident that accounts for this behaviour, and in others there may not. However, whatever the cause may or may not be, and whether you think nerves or excitement is the root of the issue, the solution is the same – relaxation! All too often, we’re caught up in trying to work out why our horse is having the problem in the first place, but the solution is often the same, regardless of the cause. Once again, each horse is an individual, and you will be the best person to determine how to help your horse relax during this work. One option, for instance, would be to do some pole work with him in hand. You could start by leading him over poles and then work up to longlining or lunging him over the poles. Alternatively, you could ride while

someone else leads him from the ground or lunges him over the poles. A third option would be to follow another horse over the poles. If you are unsure which option to choose, go into detective mode and test all three! The only advice we would give is that you start in walk and stay there for as long as you need to before you try the higher gaits. Once you feel your horse is more comfortable and relaxed, you can increase the difficulty of the pole work exercises by adding more poles, raising some poles or creating shapes with the poles that have a variety of different approaches. This must, however, all be done very gradually so that your horse does not feel overwhelmed as this will set you back to square one. You want to be challenging your horse without creating a stress response. Over time, if you show patience, you will find that your horse begins to relax during the work.

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For more information, please contact Jan on 082 880 2353 or email him on jan@equiconnect.co.za

If you are riding a horse or pony you love, you have already won.

WHAT DO WE DO? Here at EquiConnect, we specialise in finding the right equine partners for the right people. We take extreme care in matching our buyers to the most suitable and appropriate horse or pony for their needs and abilities. We also acknowledge that the role of the seller is a difficult one. Moving on a much-loved partner to the next chapter in their journey with a new owner is often both challenging and emotional. We, therefore, commit to investing our time and effort in ensuring that the horse or pony being sold goes to the best possible home, where he or she is secured a happy future.

Seeis Katrina Age: 13 Gender: Mare Breeding: Warmblood Current level of performance: Jumping 1.10/1.20 and has the points to go Medium in dressage For sale: R190,000 About: Seeis Katrina is a very bold and willing schoolmaster. She is currently showjumping at the 1.10/1.20 level with definite potential to jump in the open classes. She has also competed successfully in dressage, having now acquired the points to go Medium. Rideability: Katrina is a lovely horse to ride with a fantastic jump. Bold and willing, she will suit a novice or experienced rider looking to move up the grades with a talented and dependable partner.

Capital Callahan Age: 12 Height: 16.2/16.3hh Gender: Gelding Breeding: Capital Chicoletto Z x Quidam de Revel Current level of performance: Capital Callahan jumped in the 1.30m classes last year and is now in the 1.20m classes For sale: R230 000 About: Capital Callahan would be a great horse for a junior or adult wanting to jump up to 1.20m and have some fun! He is brave, honest and scopey and has visited all the major show venues in South Africa. As if this was not enough, he has the sweetest personality! Rideability: He is very well schooled and amazing on outrides. He boxes well, stands in cross ties etc – there isn’t much you can’t do with him.

Seeis Micoleure Age: 6 Height: 16.1hh (still growing) Gender: Gelding Breeding: Namibian Warmblood Current level of performance: 1m showjumping For sale: R250 000 About: Seeis Micoleure is a talented youngster, who has the scope and carefulness to jump in the open classes. He is a serious prospect for either a professional or an ambitious amateur, looking to ride at the top levels. Rideability: Seeis Micoleure thrives in a regular training program. He will excel with a rider with the time to dedicate to his development.

Products we love Shopping fun

CHRISTMAS WISHLIST

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Bucas Freedom Flysheet in Sweet Blue

The lightweight mesh Bucas Freedom Flysheet is now available in limited edition Sweet Blue. The Freedom Flysheet is designed to provide suburb air circulation, helping keep your horse cool while protecting them against the sun and flies. Features: • Lightweight mesh fly fabric • Integrated neck • Silk-feel lining on shoulders • Overlap T-bar front closure • Cross surcingle • Excellent fit • Anti-fly • Anti-insect

Complete your horse’s limited edition Summer outfit with a matching Freedom Fly Mask in Sweet Blue to help protect your horse’s eyes and face from flies. Available online and in-store in sizes 125 - 165cm at Western Shoppe. Learn more at www.westernshoppe.com

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more products we love Shopping fun

Kingsley Saddles The Kingsley Saddlery manufactures bespoke saddles to the highest standards. The steel suspended tree allows a natural and dynamic movement of the horse. Their saddles are made of the finest leather and can be aesthetically tailored to your taste. The stitching, piping and cantle can all be altered to the colours of your choice. For more information on Kingsley Saddles, speak to HorseBox Equestrian – stockists of Kingsley Saddles in South Africa. Steel-suspended tree The flexible tree adjusts perfectly to the horse's back and offers increased comfort to both horse and rider. Top quality leather Only the best leather is used to manufacture Kingsley Saddles to ensure the sustainability of the product. Anatomically shaped panels The innovative panels enable the horse to lower his hindquarters more easily while providing optimal support and pressure distribution. 100% wool flocking The panels are filled with 100% natural wool. Wool is more sustainable than synthetic materials and will not shift. Uniquely shaped sweat flaps The uniquely shaped sweat flaps ensure optimal development and additional freedom of movement for the horse. Additional comfort An additional foam layer in the seat ensures increased comfort for the rider.

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One K™ – personalise your helmet!

One K™ Helmets boast the perfect synergy between advanced technology and aesthetically pleasing design. With enough features to appeal to those seeking everything a helmet could possibly offer, wrapped in a package that traditionalists can appreciate, it really is the helmet for everyone. Glossy, matte, suede, shiny and sparkly from genuine Swarovski crystals - the choice is yours and the possibilities endless. One K™ Helmets are exclusively available from Equestrian Diva Couture. Pop through to their shop to get your personalised helmet today!

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H I N D Q U A RT E R

THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS ACCORDING TO PRIDEY

EDITOR’S NOTE THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS FOR HIS MOTHER ON THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS MY HOOMAN SHOULD GIVE TO ME: 12 Woolworths carrots 11 fans for cooling 10 hectares of (private) grazing 9 mares a-prancing 8 hours of attention 7 golden hoof picks 6 winners’ rosettes 5 taaasttty treeeaaatttsss 4 solarium sessions 3 sheets for shredding 2 slimming saddles 1 And a stable with a Christmas tree.

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ON THE TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS PRIDEY GAVE TO ME: 12 abandoned lessons 11 agile cow kicks 10 uprooted fence posts 9 broken toes 8 hours a-loading 7 purple bruises 6 fresh bucks 5 injuuurrriiiieeeesssss 4 figure vet bills 3 shredded fly sheets 2 silly spooks 1 A bruised ego and a sore knee

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NEXT ISSUE 1st January 2022

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Lose a hobby, gain a paion

Merlynn Trichardt 079 317 4556 | merlynn.bester15@gmail.com

HQ Magazine Issue 157A

Articles inside

Bitless bridles

Food shortages

Show Rider of the Month

Serpentine exercise

Sandro Hit

What makes a good Show Horse