August 2018
FREE
Hub Hero STUART TINNEY
Dublin HETI Conference LOST IN THE SNOWY MOUNTAINS Sue-Ellen Lovatt's Ride for Cancer
+ plenty more!
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FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH
SUE-ELLEN'S RIDE FOR CANCER
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HUB HERO STUART TINNEY
CANDIDLY SPEAKING
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YOUNG RIDER OF THE MONTH
CARL HESTER'S MASTERCLASS
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11 IN DUBLIN'S FAIR CITY
TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK
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HORSE DENTISTRY
NSWRHA STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
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VALE AMANDA SHOOBRIDGE
PENNY'S PLACE
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A LIFE LIVED IN THE SADDLE
WANDA AND RORY'S SNOWY MOUNTAIN MISADVENTURE
44 YOUR CLUB IN PROFILE
28 BREED SPOTLIGHT THE LIPIZZANER
51 SADDLE REVIEW
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PRODUCT REVIEW
STARS BY EPONA
Cover image: Gemma, Stuart and Karen Tinney with War Hawk, who placed 3rd in the 2017 Adelaide 4-Star. photos courtesy of: PYT Equine Photography
NEWS & VIEWS FROM EQUESTRIAN HUB HorseVibes Editorial: candida@equestrianhub.com.au Advertising Enquiries: promote@equestrianhub.com.au The Saddle Hub Sales Enquiries: Fiona Todd - 0414 760 067 Graphic Design: marketing@equestrianhub.com.au Published by Equestrian Hub PO Box 13 • Tintenbar NSW 2478 Phone: 0414 760 067 • Email: info@equestrianhub.com.au www.equestrianhub.com.au
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H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
Today we celebrate the horses’ birthday, or to be specific, it’s the day Thoroughbreds – at least in the Southern Hemisphere – become a year older. Happy Birthday to all your beautiful equine friends - extra carrots today, and for our readers a bumper issue!
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t’s not often that we can bring you a crazily dramatic horse story with a happy ending, but Jane Camens story on Wanda and Rory’s massive misadventure is exactly that. Rory was missing for almost four months in the Snowy Mountains and was found the weekend the park was closing for winter! Candy profiles our Hub Hero, Stuart Tinney (OAM) – who has moved from competitor to Chef d’Equipe of the Eventing Team for the World Equestrian Games.
Dannii Cunnane gives us the lowdown on the importance of horse dentistry, horse soccer and the beautiful Lipizzanners, and I broke into print with a story on the inspirational Sue-Ellen Lovatt, who is blind, but is doing an 800km ride ‘The Challenge – Ride Against Cancer’. I was delighted to be able to help Sue-Ellen by talking with Toptac who kindly helped out with a heavily discounted Kieffer Sydney saddle for Sue-Ellen to keep her safe and sound on her long ride. Very sadly there was one unimaginable loss during July, when Amanda Shoobridge, one of Australia’s most prominent reproduction vets, well-
HV is looking for editorial contributors. Email if you're interested: candida@equestrianhub.com.au
known for competing on her beautiful Noble Dancer, died very suddenly from meningitis after she arrived in London for a conference. Our thoughts, love and prayers are with her family, friends and everyone at Revelwood whose lives have been so tragically affected. We thank Berni Saunders for writing a tribute to Amanda. Fiona
P.S. This month’s prize draw is a 5kg bucket of Mega Horse supplement. See page 50. Winner from last month is Emily McLeod. Subscribe now to win!
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
Cathy Binz has brought us three stories in this issue – one all the way from Dublin where she went to present at the Horses in Education and Therapy International Conference (HETI) on her research into the effect of horses on children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Luckily Cathy was back in time to go to the
Carl Hester Masterclass, and she tells us he was “inspirational”. She’s also interviewed Alexis Hellyer, the youngest rider on the Dressage Team for WEG.
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Stuart Tinney
oam
KEEPING HIS EYE ON THE TOP RAIL Our dual-Olympic medallist, and one of Australia’s most decorated eventing riders, Stuart Tinney is taking on a new role next month as Chef d’Equipe of the World Equestrian Games eventing team at Tryon in the US. He talks to Candida Baker about a life lived with horses.
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t’s a slightly odd feeling to know that Stuart Tinney’s first pony was called ‘Candy’ – particularly since she didn’t have the sweetest disposition in the world. “She was borrowed from a friend, a little white pony that seriously kicked,” Stuart says, in a reflective mood. “I had to stand by myself at pony club with a red ribbon in her tail because she used to line up and run backwards to kick other ponies.”
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
If I promise not to kick him, I ask, would he spare me a bit of time to talk about the upcoming WEG (World Equestrian Games), and his role as Chef d’Equipe for the Eventing Team? He laughs. “I’ll trust you,” he says.
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‘Trust’ – that all-important word in the horse/ human relationship, and perhaps never more so than in the cross-country phase of serious three-day eventing when horses are asked to literally take leaps of blind faith into water, over ditches, and with angles so narrow there is virtually no margin for error. It’s perhaps one of the most discussed aspects of training a horse – how do you teach it to be bold, to not spook at scary jumps and to literally take everything in its stride? One of the key elements, according to Stuart, is teaching a horse not to look down. (And if
any of us who have ever jumped have heard the phrase ‘eyes up’ once, we’ve heard it hundreds, if not thousands of times.) “I train them right from the start to look at the top rail,” he says. “If you think about it course designers – myself included – try to distract horses, it becomes your job as a rider to teach them to only look at the top rail. Horses shouldn’t look at the wings, or what the jump is made of – even as a rider you don’t even notice until afterwards because you should be too busy focussing on where the horse should focus.” But running a team is very different to competing, as Stuart is finding. “I’m certainly finding the job very challenging and very different,” he says, “the logistics of preparing plus getting your team to a Championship is humongous! Being on the other side of the fence certainly makes you appreciate how much the Chef/ HPP do and how much organization is involved. It’s been exhausting at times but very rewarding.” Stuart was introduced to horses by his father Brian on the family property in Gladstone, Queensland, mustering and bull-riding, which, he says: “I did not like much.” But Pony Club was a good fit for the youngster, and he quickly
Stuart Tinney on Wanda.
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
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everything – why one jump worked well, why another didn’t. It’s no doubt partly what has made him one of Australia’s most successful eventers ever, and also a highly-esteemed course builder.
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
As Equestrian Australia’s High Performance Director Chris Webb said when Stuart’s WEG appointment was announced. “Stuart is not only a brilliant rider with some big runs on the board but he is also a highly regarded cross-country course designer and coach. He brings a huge breadth of skills to the position and is also very popular with and respected by riders of all ages and levels.”
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The final eight riders to be selected for the games, which The ever popular War Hawk taking a water jump. start on September 11 are the combinations of Chris Burton on Quality Purdey; Sam Grifrose through the ranks, moving into official fiths with Paulank Brockagh; Andrew Hoy and eventing before he got his first break at the Vassily de Lassos; Bill Levett with Lassban age of 18 working with Wayne and Vicky RoyDiamond; Emma McNab and Fernhill; Robert croft at their Central Coast property. Palm on Koko Story; Shane Rose with both “I’d ridden two-star before I moved down Virgil and CP Qualified and Amanda Ross with from Queensland,” he says, “and my riding Koko Popping Candy. was not bad, but a lot of it was done withThe final five combinations won’t be choout consciously knowing what I was doing. I sen until the full length of the cross-country think that was the biggest thing that Wayne course is known. “It may have an impact on gave me – he made me question everything. our selection tactics,” says Stuart, “so we are I’d never really thought about where I should take off from – although obviously I wasn’t too waiting for final notifications. But no matter the final five, it will be an absolute privilege to bad at it since my horses didn’t crash, but he work alongside all these riders.” taught me to think about everything.” These days, says Stuart, even though his riding has become instinctive, he still analyses
Stuart has a formidable record of success in eventing – he’s represented Australia inter-
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
nationally numerous times, and his awards on being involved, our older daughter Jaymee include his Sydney 2000 Gold Medal, a Bronze lives and works in Sydney, but rides as a Medal at Rio and an Order of Australia medal hobby and was very competitive before she (OAM) in 2000. He is an NCAS Level 3 Coach, went to University.” was on the National Gold Squad between Stuart is the first to acknowledge that it’s 2014 and 2017, and last year he was NSW the teamwork that has Rider of the Year on the enabled him to fulfil his amazingly beautiful War "Good horses get it. dream of international Hawk (now for sale for anThey understand the competition, and Karen yone wanting a 4* horse!). happily describes herself difference between the as: “A very good filler. If In the tightly knit family disciplines and they business, which includes Stuart’s away, I ride all the Stuart’s wife Karen, herself horses – although only on react accordingly.” an NCAS Level 2 Eventing the flat these days, and Coach, and their daughif he has to compete on ter Gemma, it’s Gemma – who is following in some horses, I’ll ride the other ones. Gemma the family footsteps and is already an NCAS now competes on the beautiful Diabolo which Level 1 General Coach. Gemma is currentwas bought for her and myself to train by ownly riding John and Jane Pittard’s Annapurna er Tim Game plus of course she and Annapur(having just placed 2nd at Tamborine CCI*** na are a great & 3rd Melbourne CCI3* in June) and is now combination.” taking over the reins of the big grey War Hawk One of the new initiatives for Australian riders with his owners very excited that War Hawk is to give them more availability to jumping will continue competing whilst Stuart is away. coaches wherever they are based in the world. Gemma’s stardom is on the rise, last year at To that end, Rod Brown will be available as a the age of 19, she beat a field of top class jumping coach in Australia with iconic Brazilian seasoned riders in the CIC three-star class and jumping legend Nelson Pessoa will work with was crowned 2017 national eventing champion the Northern Hemisphere-based riders. with Annapurna. It was the first time Gemma On the occasions when Stuart is at home, the had competed at that level, riding the half-sisroutine is pretty much the same every day. ter of her father’s Olympic Games Mount, Plu“Early emails,” he says “followed by riding or to Mio. (Gemma’s ambition is to ride with her working all the horses, followed by admin/ father in an Olympic Games team. “You can coaching in the afternoon, evening red wine never dream too big,” she says.) etcetera followed by sleep!!.” (A somewhat “Stuart and I met in 1990 when we were both rare commodity in the high-pressure world of competing,” says Karen, “we married in 1993. elite horse competition, apart from the wine !!) Initially we ran an agistment property at For Stuart at the start of any fitness program Kenthurst, near Sydney, then bought our 30with a horse, it’s all about dressage. “We’re acre property at Maraylya which we now lease just getting all their muscles working. When to ‘Steph Bender Equestrian’. We now agist you do high enough level dressage they’re all our horses with Steph, this gives us more flexibility to train, ride and compete our horses. using quite a few of their muscles,” he says. “Then they start on really low jumps and we’ll Gemma was, and still is always super-keen
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jump twice a week because the jumps are tiny. I’ll work up to jumping two or three times a week at a reasonable level, then I’ll go to an event. It’s gradual with the jumping. Then if I find anything faulty, I’ll work on that. When you walk up to some of those Olympic Games fences they look so enormous that you don’t think it is physically possible for horses to jump them, but it’s a gradual process, level by level as the horse learns its trade the impossible becomes possible.”
between flatwork for dressage and flatwork for jumping: “People often don’t realise that the reaction times of a horse to a command are completely different in these disciplines – or, at least, they should be. A horse doing a dressage transition needs to do it smoothly and slowly, a horse doing a flying change on a jump-course around a corner or an angle over a cross-country jump needs to react quickly, so it’s very important to train your horse to understand the difference. Good horses get it. They understand the difference between the disciplines and they react accordingly.” It’s his wealth of experience and understanding of eventing that has made him in demand as a course-designer, but if anything, that and the Chef d’Equipe role have only whetted his appetite for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
Stuart Tinney on Jeepster during the dressage event at the Sydney Olympic Games.
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Like many top-level eventers and jumpers, Stuart does not believe in over-jumping a horse that knows what it’s doing. “Once they know how to jump, they know how,” he says. “You’re better off to keep refining the flatwork because in the end that’s what pays off out on the cross-country course or in the show jumping ring.” Although he does point out the difference
“I have every intention of qualifying,” he says. “We have some great young horses coming along - Elisabeth Brinton’s Celebration is a seven-year-old chestnut with four white socks, who’s won his last three starts in 2-star. Also, the very intriguing Dayleena Daydream. She’s a six-year-old16.1hh German Sport Horse mare we bought last year from an eventing yard in Germany, but she’d only done show jumping. She’s literally a bit of a dark horse – she’s very easy to train and has a super-careful jump, and we think she has a great future ahead of her. We also have our own Leporis, (Heraldik) who is big and scopey and will mature to be a super 4-star horse. Others that we hope will have a career on the International stage include Wanda, a New Zealand Thoroughbred, and German Sport Horses Be My Daisy and Wasabi. Being away a lot, this year will give them time with Karen on the flat, and Gemma can help with the jumping which will be great grounding for the 2019 season which I am looking forward to after WEG.”
AUGUST
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Growing up on her parents 770-acre farm Sharon was bitten early by the pony bug and by the time she was five she was at pony club.
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This month’s Young Rider hails from Western Australia and is a keen equestrian with many credits to her name.
But when she was only seven, disaster struck. “I was diagnosed with a Sarcoma Bone Tumour in my left femur,” she says. “I was given a 20 per cent chance of survival and three months to live, but I defied the odds to survive.” But the complications of cancer meant she was unable to ride for six years. “I have limited movement and strength in my left leg and the lower part of my right leg,” she says, “but as soon as I was able to ride again I jumped straight back into it.” Sharon has now competed up to Prix St George level at CDI level and Inter 1 at State level as well as having progressed several
ponies and horses through the lower ranks. “My current horses are Ceasy and Lord Larmarque,” Sharon says. “Ceasy is an eleven-yearold Black Dutch Warmblood Mare who is 17 hands high. Lord Larmarque is also eleven, and is a 16.2 Chestnut Hanoverian stallion. I started competing in Para Equestrian competitions in 2006 and I’ve enjoyed success at the Elite level, competing at my first World Championships in 2007.”
Most recently Sharon competed Ceasy at the Rio Paralympics and came away with a ninth placing in the Individual Championship. “I enjoy motivational speaking, but my heart is with my equines,” she says. “I have a huge passion for the para sports in Australia and for mentoring others.” Sharon is now aiming for the Tokyo Paralympics 2020 and we look forward to following her journey.
If you are a young competition rider and would like to be considered for HorseVibes Young Rider of the Month, email us for a questionnaire to complete: promote@equestrianhub.com.au.
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
YOUNG RIDER OF THE MONTH
Sharon Jarvis
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H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
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In Dublin’s Fair City
Rider and coach Cathy Binz has long had an interest in equine therapeutic modalities, and in particular the effect of horses and horse-riding on children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, (ASD). She was recently invited to attend the HETI (Horses in Education and Therapy International) conference in Dublin and wrote this special report for HorseVibes.
to reveal a patchwork of green, green fields and hedges surrounding the city. Of course, I know that green fields speak of a climate that offers a large amount of constant rain, but for my entire trip the weather did not vary from sparklingly sunny and warm. Irish eyes were indeed smiling!
But back to the main purpose of my trip - the HETI Conference. The Welcome Ceremony in-
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had never thought of visiting Ireland, probably because I’m pretty sure I must be the only person in the world not to have a drop of Irish blood in me, but the opportunity to present my investigations into horse riding therapies and children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, (ASD) to an International audience with attendees from all around the globe was too good an opportunity to miss.
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
The Conference showcased all the work and dedication A happy participant in an equine therapy programme at from people all over the world Dublin's Festina Lente Centre - which was presented at who share in a magical vocathe conference. tion; one that includes facilitating small, yet mighty trivolved, what else? Horses. Ireland has a long umphs from individuals who have often been tradition of horses in numerous disciplines given giant crosses to bear with their physical and proudly featured a parade of their finest and/or mental health. It is such a privilege to equines, including two huge national-level do what we do and I wouldn’t swap my job for showjumpers, Irish draught horses, beautiful the world. Connemara ponies, Irish cobs, donkeys and a brand new (but extremely old) breed that was We landed in Dublin on a stunning sumonly identified in 2010 by DNA testing - the mer morning, breaking through the clouds
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Kerry Bog Pony. (Not the prettiest name in the world for such lovely ponies.) I had been fortunate enough to be accepted for two presentations at the conference; my talk, and a poster presentation. My poster theme was ‘Humans Helping Horses Helping Humans’ and was based on a project that I’d been involved with earlier in the year. The intent behind my presentation was to show the logic of involving rescue horses with equine therapy programs. A lot of rescue horses, particularly older ones are very unlikely adoption prospects - people mostly prefer younger, rideable horses. However, these older horses can be ideal participants in therapy programs, often having quieter temperaments and a lifetime’s worth of training to offer. The logic of combining the two has always made sense to me. My main presentation (on a stage shared with the Australian guru of Riding for Disabled, Mary Longdon) was a talk on my favourite topic: The Effects of Equine Activities on Children with Autism: evidence-based or simply “feel-good” therapy? My talk (which has also been presented at a previous conference in Paris) evaluates the scientific research world-
Trinity College library. wide to date on Equine Assisted Activities and children with Autism to examine if it stands up to scientific scrutiny (i.e. is it a correctly conducted trial, with proper controls, selection criteria, etc). Having read all the available material, it is evident that the research does not yet add up to Equine Assisted Activities being able to be considered an ‘evidence-based’ therapy for people with ASD. However, anyone working with horses and with individuals with ASD can testify that there is something almost miraculous that happens when they are brought together. I have seen children having emotional meltdowns before horse riding, proceed to mount a horse and after walking for 1-2 minutes enter an almost hypnotised but aware state. For those with ASD, from the first experience, horses and riding usually become their favourite activity. I believe that just being around a horse affects everyone positively, but particularly those with ASD.
My Irish steed.
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There is no doubt to me, after experiences
working within an RDA centre, and with my own training as an EFL (Equine Facilitated Learning) practitioner, that the presence of a horse somehow reduces stress for those with ASD. (To that end I have a research project designed to prove my theories for which I am currently seeking funding.) After my talk, a gentleman came up and introduced himself. He is Danish, but his wife was Australian, and had completed her PhD demonstrating that combining Equine Assisted Activities with rehab decreased the dropout rate of recovering drug addicts. Sadly, she was killed in a car accident before she saw her work published. Her husband felt that I was very much on the right track, which I took as a huge compliment and an incentive to keep going. For the rest of the Conference, I was particularly interested in talks concerning the welfare
of therapy horses. One speaker explained that these days horses are not ‘used’ in therapy – the word ‘use’ is being removed from the horse therapy lexicon and replaced with ‘involve’, ‘participate’, ‘select’. The horse must be allowed to have its presence and feelings respected and acknowledged. This is a huge step forward for the industry because it is obvious to many of us these days that the horse in the session is a sentient being who is fully ‘present’ in the session, and has an understanding of the task at hand – or hoof. The speaker also put up slides depicting horses displaying subtle and not-so-subtle body language of discomfort and urged people to recognise and respect when the horse has had enough. Another speaker was from the hosting Therapy Centre in Dublin, called Festina Lente. They have made it a priority to consider the horses’
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wellbeing as equal to that of the humans. Their stables allow horses to groom each other over the partitions; they give the horses daily paddock time in groups, and only use Micklem (bitless) bridles. I have to say I thought about how lucky our Australian horses are to (mostly) live in paddocks with other horses with or near them, unlike in Europe where space and weather means most working horses are stabled full-time. A highlight of the conference was the Keynote Speaker - the Patron of the UK Riding for Disabled Association; HRH Princess Anne. She spoke about her horse riding days, her involvement with RDA and then joined the audience to listen to two of the young clients of Festina Lente talk about their personal stories.
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
The conference, of course, was the reason for my trip, but I’d arrived a few days before the start in order to acclimatise, and I’d spent my first night in the Temple Bar - the hub of tourism and socialising in Dublin. I have never seen so many ‘Ye Olde Worlde’ pubs, all decorated with hanging pots of flowers and shining brass accoutrements - on my first night I was woken frequently by the sounds of
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The RDA Woodbridge & District Riding and Driving Centre was officially reopened by Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, President of The RDA, on 19th December 2017.
Cathy Binz with her poster presentation. happy voices raised in song from all the pubs surrounding the hotel. I was extremely glad I’d given myself time to explore this amazing city. Everything was within walking distance, and some of the tourist attractions were very close. I visited the Irish National Art Gallery which was chockful of old masters. I next visited the Natural History Museum next door, decided I was all “museum-ed out” and skipped the National Museum (all three are on the same city block). This was a mistake because I missed out on seeing the Bog Bodies, those poor souls who were sacrificed to the bog during the Iron Age and lay entombed for up to 4000 years, the oxygen-poor peat perfectly preserving them until modern day excavations uncovered them. Later that day I moved into Trinity College, which was to be my accommodation for the remainder of my stay. If you ever get a chance to stay in Trinity College, I urge you to do so. It is the oldest University in Western Europe and during the summer holidays, while the students are away, they offer student ‘digs’ at incredibly cheap rates (AUD150/night). It’s
basic accommodation, but clean, serviced every day and includes a full kitchen if you want to do your own catering. The beautiful campus has a star-studded list of Alumni throughout its history - I instantly felt more intelligent just staying there - and it is also home to the Book of Kells, one of the earliest and most beautiful bibles in existence. After the conference finished I had one more day left in Ireland and I decided that I simply could not leave without riding a horse. I chose to visit Killegar Riding Stables in Wicklow County, and you can imagine my joy when they brought out a piebald Irish cob. I was escorted through the countryside by an old Irish horseman who looked as if he’d come straight from a movie set, complete with tweed cap and an accent so strong I couldn’t understand what he was saying.
e b i r c s b Su
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We trotted along the roads between the hedges, cantered through the beautiful forests and enjoyed a fantastic ride. It just capped off a marvellous and worthwhile trip to a land that I shall certainly revisit, Irish blood or not. To top it all off, the reaction to my poster and to my talk certainly reinforced the importance of my research. My airfares were generously sponsored by philanthropist Philip Bacon, of Philip Bacon Galleries in Brisbane - he facilitated a trip which has allowed my dream of conducting world’s best practice research into equine therapies for children with ASD get one step closer to reality. Cathy Binz is an EA Level 1 coach, an EFL practitioner with the charity Reason to Thrive Inc (https://www.facebook.com/reasontothrive/) and runs her own coaching business, Shine: https://www.shineefl.com/
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Horse Dentistry
Why is it so important?
photos courtesy of:
Scone Equine Hospital
Care of our horses’ teeth is just as important as care of our own, writes Dannii Cunnane, giving us the lowdown on the essential guide to equine dentistry.
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H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
n just the same manner as humans, horses use their teeth to grind and chew their food - if they cannot do this successfully, they aren’t obtaining the nutrients they need which in turn can lead to health issues. To ensure their choppers are in good working order, horses need to see a dentist on a regular basis.
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Most foals are born with their first set of incisors (the centre teeth). Their middle incisors will come in between 4-6 weeks of age, and the outside set of incisors will come in between when they are between 6-9 months old. Up to 24 milk teeth are lost between the ages of two-and-a-half and four-and-a-half years. These are also called ‘caps’ or ‘temporary incisors’. They often fall out naturally but
occasionally can give a horse mouth problems and may require extraction. The remarkable thing about horses’ teeth is that they continue to erupt or grow throughout most of their life, especially in their early years. They are also constantly being worn down due to the grinding action that horses use to chew their feed. The shape this grinding creates can cause problems. The maxilla (upper jaw) is wider than the mandible (lower jaw) so the molars don’t sit directly over each other. The outside edges of the upper molars and the inside edges of the lower molars don’t get ground down at the same rate as the rest of the teeth and become very sharp. These sharp edges need to be correctly addressed to prevent lacerations to the cheeks and tongue, which can often turn into painful ulcers. This is especially the case with the first molars which need special attention to be shaped correctly.
So what does a dentist do? The last two decades have seen a dramatic evolution in equine dentistry. The use of hand tools to rasp or file horse’s teeth has traditionally been the technique with which horse owners are most familiar but more recently equine dentists have tended towards becoming Whole of Mouth practitioners.
nation, they may need to file the horse’s teeth. This is done with a rasp which can be moved along the teeth manually or with a powered device. While there are pros and cons to both methods, it’s all about the individual horse and their needs. The Equine Dental Association of Australia (EDAA) states that the traditional hand file is a more precise tool as the
WOM equine dentistry is as the name implies. What sets this technique apart from a traditional dental float (rasp or file) is that it involves a thorough assessment of a horse’s dental condition using tools not unlike those of human dentists. WOM dentists use power drills and therefore require horses to be sedated. Of course, all equine dentists will study, diagnose and offer prevention and treatment of diseases, disorders and conditions of the horse’s oral cavity. The equine dentist places a gag bridle on your horse (referred to as a gag) that allows the front teeth to slip into metal disks and have their mouths held open by a special crank. Once the gag is on the dentist can use the crank to gently open the horse’s mouth, look inside and feel the horse’s teeth, tongue, gums and jaw with their hands to see if there are any abnormalities and sharpness within the area. Once the dentist has conducted their exami-
dentist is able to tell exactly how much tooth the file is removing and that the powered tool is less accurate in this area. Finally it comes down to what your dentist wishes to use on your horse and your opinion on the horses welfare.
How often should my horse’s pearly whites be treated? An equine dentist will be able to give you a more accurate timeline of when each horse needs to be seen. Like humans, it differs for each individual such as age, dental conditions and what they are eating.
Young Horses A young horse’s teeth should ideally be first done during the mouthing process. If young horses have problems in the mouth that are causing pain, especially with a bit, it may
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
As a general rule, the following can be used as a timing guide:
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develop bad habits that are difficult to break. Young horse’s teeth grow faster than an adult horse’s teeth, and they also lose their milk teeth which can need attention. Because of this, it is recommended that young horses get more regular dental maintenance.
Mature Horses Mature horses without unusual dental conditions should still have regular dental maintenance to ensure a long and healthy life. Even if you’re not riding the horse, dental check-ups are still an important part of general health maintenance. In horses of twenty and upwards, the tooth growth slows and they can start losing their molars. While there isn’t much the equine dentist can do about this, they may still require dentistry check-ups every two years to ensure a happy mouth and to spot any problems. Caring for
• ‘quidding’ the food which is rolling the feed into balls rather than chewing and then dropping it on the ground • washing feed in their water bucket while trying to eat it • holding their head to the side when eating • refusing to eat hard grain or eating it too quickly (known as bolting food) leading to a loss of condition • horses may swallow before chewing is complete and this may lead to colic. Physical signs of mouth issues may include: • the presence of excess saliva • halitosis (bad mouth odour) • swelling of the face or jaw • bleeding from the mouth • loss of physical condition • the presence of whole grains or large pieces of food in manure due to unsatisfactory chewing. Behavioural signs that a horse has dental pain may include: • tossing or nodding their head when being ridden • pulling to one side when ridden
• increased resistance to the bridle • becoming nervous
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
• rearing and being generally unsettled or unwilling to perform correctly or consistently.
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your horse’s teeth throughout its life will maximise the oral condition of its teeth and may decrease problems in later years.
Signs of Trouble Some of the most common signs that horses are experiencing dental discomfort are in their chewing habits which may include: • dribbling or dropping feed out of its mouth while eating
Book It In! If you think that your horse may need a dental check, contact your local veterinarian or equine dentist to have them assess the health of your horse’s mouth. Depending on your location and how many dentists actually service your region, there could be a wait list so it would be advisable to book in as soon as possible. Like most services, word of mouth is a good way of finding out the gems in your area.
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H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
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H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
Vale - Amanda Shoobridge (1980-2018)
When the Australian equestrian community heard that they had lost NSW Veterinarian Amanda Shoobridge (nee Crestani), the immediate reaction was disbelief, followed by deep sorrow and sympathy for her family and close friends, in particular her eight-year-old daughter Annabel.
Amanda grew up as a passionate animal lover and
Amanda was the owner and general manager of Revelwood Stud, one of Australia’s leading performance horse farms, where she stood a number of very commercial imported stallions. Amanda began her riding career at an early age and was an accomplished
dressage rider, competing on many horses with success up to Grand Prix level. Her name has been associated with a number of the most loved and admired horses, and her special favourite was the superstar stallion Ferrero Rocher. More recently, Amanda’s partnership with the striking multi champion palomino German Riding Pony, Noble Dancer, has made equine media headlines and gained the pair numerous fans. Amanda Shoobridge gave so much to horses and the people who love them, she will be sadly missed. Our thoughts go out to her family and friends. RIP Amanda.
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
Amanda had travelled to London to attend a Veterinary Conference and was unwell when she arrived. She retired to her hotel room to rest and fell into unconsciousness. She passed away from bacterial meningitis on Sunday 22nd July.
followed her dream of becoming a Veterinarian. She graduated from the Sydney University in 2004, focusing her energy on horse health. Amanda’s special area of expertise was equine reproduction and her innovations and leading edge artificial breeding techniques saw her receive wide acclaim.
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WANDA AND RORY’S SNOWY MOUNTAINS MISADVENTURE
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
This is the remarkable story of Wanda Egan’s horse, Rory, who went missing in the Snowy Mountains for threeand-a-half months. He was found and reunited with Wanda just days before the park gates closed for the winter, writes Jane Camens.
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To give you a little history - Wanda has owned horses all her life. When she met her husband Greg he already owned Rory’s mother, and it was a mutual decision to breed from her. Wanda has photos of her pure thoroughbred
n February 15th this year Wanda Egan’s 17.1hh thoroughbred, Rory, went missing.
Every year Wanda and Rory had joined their local Illawarra trail-riding club for a week-long camp in the Snowy Mountains. This year Rory was turning fourteen. Wanda, who had bred the horse who was to become her best friend, was confident they were once more fit and ready for the ride.
Rory as a newborn colt.
colt, little Rory, just hours old. As she says: “I don’t have children. I have Rory.” It was on the eighth and last night of the camp, that things went badly wrong. Rory was safely ensconced in his own electrified yard at Ghost Gully Campground, when one of the other horses spooked and ran through several of the temporary yards the riders had put up for their horses. Seven horses got loose - three were collected immediately, but the other four bolted, Rory amongst them.
“That meant that Rory was out there by himself,” says Wanda, and even now the worry is clear in her voice as she retells the story. After the other horses had all returned in the end the riders and helpers had no choice but to give up and return home. “It was devastating,” she says, trying not to choke up. “I was torn, but I knew I had to
It was just around dinner time when the horses took off, galloping and presumably revelling in their freedom - up a road that opened onto Long Plain. In retrospect, Wanda regrets she didn’t keep looking for her boy later that night. “Rory had night reflectors on his rug and I was fit enough to go on alone on foot,” she says, “but I decided to go back to camp with everyone else so we could resume the search at first light.”
Rory in January, before going to the Snowy.
In the morning when the riders first went out they couldn’t track the horses. Says Wanda: “A fisherman stopped me and said he’d seen a horse—one with a blue rug—drinking out of Tantangara Dam. So I knew that Rory had left the other three horses and at that point I wasn’t too worried because he was probably only 300 meters from the road.” That was Friday, February 16th, the last time anyone reported seeing him. Rory’s condition when he was found.
leave. I had no horse and a million acres to search.” Eventually, admitting defeat, she drove home with her empty float. Over the weeks and months that followed, every couple of weeks Wanda and Greg drove the five hours from their home in Nerriga in the Southern Tablelands to look for Rory.
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
And what of the other horses? One came walking back into camp two days after he’d left, calling to his missing friends throughout the night. Word had got out via social media of the missing horses, and helpers, some on foot and some on horse, had come from as far as Harden, NSW, parts of Sydney and even South Australia to help search. Finally the other two horses were found on Saturday night, nine days after they had first bolted out of the camp.
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It was April 20th when Wanda organised a search party through Facebook, called ‘Ride for Rory’. (Which is how I first heard of Rory’s plight.) One of her posts was shared 500 times. She headed up to the mountains again with more hope in her heart to organise a few groups of riders that had gathered to the fray. But, devastatingly for the couple, Rory still wasn’t sighted.
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
Wanda and Greg kept all their kit and gear permanently packed. They lived in hope that there might be a phone call and they needed to be ready at any moment. There were many texts or messages, about four every week, but none stood up under Wanda’s questioning. The horses people reported were all clearly brumbies, none of them with Rory’s markings and none of them anything like 17.1hh. The
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gossip started that the brumby runners might have taken Rory. She made some good friends during those months, a lot of them photographers and people involved in brumby rescue. “They know the Snowy Mountains country like the back of their hands,” says Wanda, but nevertheless she was fast giving up hope of finding her gelding by the weekend before the ski season began, when the gates to the Snowy Mountains were due to be closed for the winter. It was on that fateful weekend in early June, a grey, near-sleeting day, when two women decided to ride out along an old bridle trail. They’d seen Wanda’s Facebook posts and so they were aware that Rory was still missing. And then suddenly, out of the blue, the miracle happened – as Annabel and Melissa
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He is a lovely modern type with expressive movement and a rather inquisitive nature. Good walk, lovely balanced canter and floating trot For more info click here.
were riding along, their attention was caught by what looked like a bright patch of blue on the eucalypt-covered hill above them. Rory, they knew, had gone missing three-and-a-half months ago while he was wearing a blue rug. They called his name, and that was it - Rory came trotting down the hill towards them, as fast as he could! It took them about two hours to lead the weak and malnourished horse the relatively short distance to the caretaker’s cottage at Currango Homestead. There were eight people in the group with Annabel and Melissa that weekend at the homestead cottage and they played a game - similar to scissors, paper, and stone - to see who would have the pleasure of calling Wanda to tell her, her beloved horse had been found. Melissa’s son won the game. Wanda recalls answering the phone, to a male voice saying: ‘We’ve found your horse.” (At this stage she apologises for interrupting her story because: “I’m going to get all teary again.” She needn’t have worried, she wasn’t the only one tearing up.) Every time she asked him a question about the found horse, his answers matched Rory’s description.
It was a mixed reunion. “I was so happy to see him, but the spark had gone out of his eyes. He’d always been so proud, but now his head was down. I called his name and he lifted his head, but he didn’t show any recognition straight away,” she says.
A screenshot of the Facebook event ‘Ride for Rory’. He didn't have one scar or blemish on him. And most astonishingly his rug – “He’d always destroyed his rugs in the paddock,” - was still intact. (Remind me to get the name of that rug manufacturer.) Dejected and malnourished as he’d become during his fifteen-week and four-day misadventure Rory was delighted to get home, and particularly to find another horse in his paddock. He’d been alone since his mother died, and now his new friend was, and is, the threeyear old standard bred filly Wanda had bought as her ‘searching’ horse.
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
When she got the call Wanda was out on a weekend ride with the new horse she’d bought only six weeks before with the sole purpose of training her to get fit enough so she could resume her search for Rory again in the spring. Overwhelmed by the news, Wanda immediately headed home to for yet another trip to the mountains – but this time, she was certain, one with a happy ending.
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and care, Rory is regaining strength, and Wanda hopes that by next year her boy will be back to his old form once more. “Even if it’s just short trail-rides,” says Wanda. “That will do us!”
Rory’s Recovery
Rory and Wanda now, with his NEW blue coat. When I interviewed Wanda recently Rory had been back home five weeks. “He’s suffered a lot of muscle wastage and his kidneys are still distressed,” she says. “He definitely wouldn’t have survived the winter in the Snowy and he wouldn’t have known how to dig through the snow to find the grass. As a large thoroughbred used to being rugged for the cold, there is no way he would lived – it was just a miracle that he was found by Annabel and Melissa that weekend just before the park was going to close. I’m forever grateful to them. And to Rory for managing to keep his rug on, and for being so people-friendly.” Gradually, however, with supplements, rest
Rory is currently on minerals, vitamins and salt with mixed chaff, barley, wheat germ and rice bran. Cen oil, KA Powder and Digestive EQ to help get his gut health back on track (kindly supplied by Poseidon Equine). He is putting on weight and muscle each week. And Wanda and Rory both love his new Zilco rug which has been kindly replaced from Zilco Australia. HorseVibes wishes Wanda and Rory many more happy trails together. Even if they’re short ones. If you’d like to watch a short video of Rory’s return, shot by one of Wanda’s new photographer friends, here’s a link: https:// www.facebook.com/judy.sheltongoggin/ posts/10160849185835122 and https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=u85La4HQS1A&feature=share
MARKETING H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
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EH Marketing extends the opportunity to businesses, small and large, to benefit from the efforts we have made to grow our various audiences and to promote a variety of equestrian products via print and digital mediums. Call or email us for a friendly chat. We don't bite! Phone: 0437 737 867
Email: promote@equestrianhub.com.au
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BREED SPOTLIGHT
THE LIPIZZANER
Is there a horse more beautiful than the Lipizzaner? While often being mistaken for a Spanish breed, such as the Andalusian, the Lipizzaner, one of Europe’s oldest breeds of horse actually hails from Slovenia.
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
T
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he Lipizzaner was developed exclusively by the Hapsburg Monarchy, who had decided they wanted a compact yet strong horse that could cope with both war and military needs. The Hapsburg family controlled both Spain and Austria at the time the art of classical riding was revived in Europe during the Renaissance and in the 16th century they decided to develop the horse into the breed we know today.
The name Lipizanner derives from one of the earliest stud farms established, located near the village of Lipica in modern-day Slovenia. Eight stallions are recognized as the foundation bloodstock of the breed, all foaled in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. All modern Lipizzaners trace their bloodlines to these eight stallions, and all breeding stallions have included in their name the name of the foundation sire of their bloodline. Also
classic mare lines are listed, with up to 35 recognised by various breed registries. The majority of horses are registered through the member organisations of the Lipizzan International Federation, which covers almost 11,000 horses in 19 countries and nine state studs in Europe. Most Lipizzaners reside in Europe, with smaller numbers in the Americas, Africa, and Australia.
riding and light carriage horses came from the Lipizza stud. Archduke Charles II also founded the Spanish Riding School in Vienna where he showcased the breed and trained them in the classical equine dressage movements of Haute Êcole – known now as
History The ancestors of the Lipizzaner can be traced to around 800 AD. The earliest predecessors of the Lipizzaner originated in the seventh century when Barb horses were brought into Spain by the Muslim inhabitants of the Maghreb (also known as Moors) and crossed with native Spanish stock. The result was the Andalusian horse and other Iberian horse breeds. In 1562, the Habsburg Emperor Maximillian II brought the Spanish Andalusian horse to Austria and founded the court stud at Kladrub - a village and municipality in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. In 1580, Emperor Maximillian II’s brother, Archduke Charles II, established a similar stud at Lipizza. While breeding stock was exchanged between the two studs, Kladrub specialised in producing heavy carriage horses, while
A stallion and his rider demonstrating 'Airs above the ground'.
airs above the ground originally designed as Calvary manoeuvres.
Preservation in War
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
By 1942, the Germans had moved the Lipizzaner breeding stock to a stud farm in Czechoslovakia, hoping to create a super horse, fit for their Nazi masters. They left behind a small group of performing stallions with Colonel Alois Podhanjsky, commandant of the Spanish Riding School. By 1945, with Allied bombs landing closer and closer to the school, Colonel Podhajsky relocated his remaining stallions from Vienna to St. Martin
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in Austria with the hopes that they would survive the war. The horses the Nazis took became the focus of an Army rescue, when 350 American soldiers liberated 375 Lipizzaner horses. The rescue was dubbed Operation Cowboy and was eventually made into a Disney film called The miracle of the white stallions.
used at the Spanish Riding School.
The Horse Today Lipizzaner horses are most often grey but are born black or brown, becoming grey and eventually white with age. It’s rare, but some Lipizzaner horses remain brown or black all their lives. The Lipizzaner horse has a narrow head with a slightly convex profile and large, expressive eyes. It has an arched neck, deep and muscular chest, long and sloping shoulder, well-defined back, muscular loins and wellmuscled legs. The temperament of Lipizzaner Horse is generous, friendly, calm and willing. They are obedient, smart and affectionate and stand between 15 to 16 hands high.
Lipizzaners in Australia
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
'Maestoso-Gratia' - Gratia for short, is owned by Claire Readings, from New South Wales.
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While the Nazis were about to surrender, the advancing Soviet troops were set out to capture and destroy the beautiful horses. With the help of their German caregivers and the American soldiers, all the horses were herded to safety. Once liberated the horses continued in breeding programs and were once more
The Lipizzaner Association of Australasia is a membership organisation, established in 1995. It represents the Lipizzaner horse breed in Australasia and it is the only member within the Asia Pacific region of The Lipizzan International Federation (LIF). While there may only be a few hundred purebred horses in Australia, some do come up for sale. You can find further information about the breed on the Lipizzaner Association of Australasia website. You can also learn about Operation Cowboy via the dedicated website.
PRODUCT REVIEW
FARNAM NEW LEATHER Fiona Todd gives the thumbs up to Leather New – Self Polishing Conditioner.
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s you can imagine we get a lot of saddles here at The Saddle Hub and they come in exhibiting various levels of love, care and cleanliness. Many saddles arrive having been cleaned with a product totally unsuitable to the leather which leaves a thick film on the saddle. The product we find that we use most often is Leather New - Self Polishing Conditioner. This product cleans the saddles and removes much of the ‘gunk’ and we can also easily clean into the seams and those hard to get at places, removing any dust that has become trapped. I personally love how quickly you can wipe over a saddle with this product - it takes away the excuse not to care for your saddle. Leather New does not darken or discolour the saddles and the lanolin helps to restore condition to the saddle and does not leave any oily residue.
It is so quick and easy to use you can use after every ride keeping your saddle in pristine condition. Even though we clean more saddles here than most people we still find a bottle lasts a long time.
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
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Sue-Ellen’s Ride for Cancer Sue-Ellen Lovatt is an FEI level dressage competitor – she’s also blind, and competes as an able-bodied athlete. She’s also a cancer survivor and now she’s about to ride 800km to raise money for the Dubbo Hospital. When Sue-Ellen Lovatt contacted The Saddle Hub to buy a saddle suitable for her charity ride, The Challenge – Ride Against Cancer, we were delighted to help support her in her request.
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
Sue-Ellen is a legend to many of us in the industry – she is blind but competes at FEI level dressage as an able-bodied athlete. She relies on living markers and counting steps to find her way around her tests - and she certainly holds her own!
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Sue-Ellen is also cancer survivor and on October 6 this year she will begin an 800 kilometre ride throughout the Central West in New South Wales. The ride will be completed by October 21 and all donated money will be going to the Integrated Wellness Centre at Dubbo Base Hospital.
will not stop me from making a difference in this world.”
Sue-Ellen can’t wait to get going and is enthusiastic about the purpose of the ride. “If this ride can help just one person achieve their potential, then it’s worth it,” she says. “I enjoy raising money for great causes and this will be the tenth ride I’ve completed. Many years ago I rode in excess of 16,000 kilometres and raised more than $3.1 million for worthy causes. I want to reinforce that being blind
Sue-Ellen will be riding an OTT thoroughbred recently retired from racing, and will be accompanied by her amazing guide dog Armarni with several sighted riding companions mounted on retired racehorses supplied by Racing NSW. These horses are undergoing rehabilitation from the track to be re-homed with suitable equestrians who can offer them a new career.
Sue-Ellen has not ridden outside the confines of a dressage arena for around 20 years, so when she rang asking for a suitable saddle, with the criteria of nice secure knee rolls, a deep seat and most of all a saddle that would be comfortable for both her and her horse, we were more than happy to try and help. The Saddle Hub contacted Toptac International Ltd, the importers of Kieffer Saddles & Accessories and sourced a Kieffer Sydney for Sue-Ellen. Toptac were very generous in their offer and have also committed to assisting with fitting the saddle by one of their approved Kieffer saddle fitters.
Toptac will also be generously donating a supply of Magnesi Magic Performance Spray for both Sue-Ellen and her horse and support riders to ensure they recover quickly and keep muscle soreness to a minimum on their long journey. In a world where most people are victims Sue-Ellen stands out as an inspiration to not only every rider, but to all humans. Sue-Ellen, you rock and we’ll be following your journey with pride! Donate Now! Visit: www.equestrianhub.com.au and give what you can. It all helps and will be used for patients in the Integrated Wellness Centre at Dubbo Base Hospital.
Wcom . NO me
AI V A OM
L EAYga B A PL
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sale of HorsePLAY donated to Hub Help!
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
$10 from every
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C A N D I D LY S P E A K I N G Happy Birthday Dear Thoroughbreds, Happy Birthday to You! On August 1, every thoroughbred in the Southern Hemisphere, magically becomes another year older, no matter when their birthday is, writes Candida Baker.
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
There’s something about the sight of a thoroughbred galloping flat out, or stretching out over a jump, or performing an elegant dressage manoeuvre that’s enough to make a horse person’s heart stop in its tracks.
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It’s only 300 years since the breed was first developed as a cross between the flighty and fast Arabian, and the heavier work horses in the UK and Europe. It created a breed that on its own supports a worldwide industry. Their annual birthday, August 1 in the Southern Hemisphere, and January 1 in the Northern Hemisphere was designed to standardize racing, and to keep in time with the breeding cycles. Simple, and yet not so simple. While (most) thoroughbreds love to race, centuries of selective breeding to create faster horses has
brought with it its own raft of problems, and, of course, the most divisive issue of them all – what happens to a racehorse when it finishes racing? As someone involved in horse welfare, I know only too well that the ‘wastage’ as it’s called in racing, is massive, but at the same time the Off the Track Thoroughbred (OTT) is still the backbone of the Australian pleasure and even performance horse industry. I was very lucky with my first OTT, a chilled out dude called ‘Irish’ - racing name ‘Irish Timepiece’. The fact that he’d been consistently last meant for him an easy transition to the life of a pleasure horse, but it was also my first introduction to two of the main problems that can beset our beautiful TB’s – namely backs, and hooves. Often Thoroughbreds’ backs are not strong – they’re trained to race forward and stretched out, and a too fast transition from racing to riding carries with it lots of pitfalls. Their hoof walls and soles can be thin and the soles often too flat, which can lead to soreness and to leg problems. Thoroughbreds are the Salukis of the dog world – beautiful, pure-bred and problematic. If you decide to take an OTT to rehabilitate, either to sell on, or to keep, there’s a few essentials to bear in mind. The first is that your ex-racehorse needs time out for their race brain to relax, and this can take anything from a few weeks to a few
months, depending on the horse’s personality and how long they raced. They’ve been on high-performance feed, usually stabled for long periods of time, and at first even space can seem weird to them. Unless you are a professional trainer with good facilities and handlers to help, an OTT – used to being led with a rearing bit – and a bit hyped-up, shall we say, can seem a bit intimidating to a mere mortal, but give them just a bit of time to unwind and usually your powerhouse will be a pussy-cat in just a few weeks.
One of the most single useful things I’ve found with ex-racehorses is getting them to understand how to back away from you.
Perhaps one of the most useful tips from both my vet and chiropractor over the years was NOT to overdo circle work at the start. The tradition of lunging, then riding in arena circles is probably the worst thing you can do for an OTT. Lots and lots of straight lines, and lots of lots of trotting is the way to build muscle and tone in the beginning. Trotting exercises both sides of the horse’s body equally at the same time and it is also vital that you finesse your control before you ask your horse to canter. Give your beautiful OTT time and in due course you will have a friend for life. Candida Baker is the Editor of HorseVibes and runs a Facebook Page, The Horse Listeners.
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
Another issue for ex-racehorses can be gut problems or ulcers from the infrequent and large feeds they eat for their racing lives, rather than the constant grazing horses are naturally designed for – a horse with ulcers will often wind-suck, but there are now excellent ulcer treatments on the market, which will usually help the horse recover.
Trained to move forward, the idea of backing is so alien to them that it can take them quite a time to get used to the idea that they can even move their bodies backwards, let alone stand still some metres away from you – but it’s the thinking that this process requires that allows them to drop into a much calmer headspace, one in which they begin to enjoy the process of learning.
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Carl Hester’s MASTERCLASS Multiple Olympian Carl Hester’s outstanding achievement is to have shown the world that it’s possible to train horses with classical principles and still win at the highest level, writes Cathy Binz, who attended his recent Dressage Queensland Masterclass at QSEC.
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H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
ne of the concepts of the Masterclass that most intrigued me was that it was a ‘Through the Levels Masterclass’, allowing us, the audience, to observe the various stages of training a horse will go through. It was beneficial to me, and I should imagine to everybody there, to gain a greater understanding of what makes a good dressage horse, and how to help it on its way through the levels.
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The horse in the first combination I saw (having missed the four-year-old due to traffic) was the five-year-old Iresias L with Gina Montgomery. Carl wanted to see the horse with a longer neck and with a more upward stance: “You want to see the first plait behind the ears, not the third plait down,” he told the rider, “bring him forwards and back to get him in front of the leg - when I bring him back, I want him to be expecting to go forward again immediately so he starts to motivate himself.” As obviously kind to his horses as he is, he still has one goal for all the horses in his yard – Grand Prix. “When I look at the mechanics of a horse, I want to see how it will look in Piaffe and Passage,” he explained, telling the rider: “Keep your head still, chin up. A nodding head is a sign of a stiff back.”
The six-year-old combination of Danielle Keogh with her mare Federation, worked on flying changes and Carl’s quiet good humour came to the fore: “When they did a flying change outside, it was good, but when we came inside, there was a little more flying than changing.” He addressed the vexed issue of when exactly to train flying changes: “It all depends on the walk-canter-walk, so you know the horse understands the inside/outside aids.” He also explained that he always uses the outside leg to ask for the canter. When the change improved there was a round of applause: “That’s what I love about Australians - at home we have to do a lot of
Piaffe to get applause, whereas here, she does a canter-walk and everyone cheers!” A clean change both ways was the signal that the horse had worked well. “Good, go to walk. He can go home now.” The Small Tour horse was Bluefields Berlin ridden by Elliott Patterson. “Eight is a really good age to assess if the horse is a GP prospect,” he said. “After all, if they were all GP prospects, we’d all be doing GP!” It was fantastic to hear him explain the transition into Piaffe. “You need to start Piaffe with a soft transition,” he said. “You can’t start with a Piaffe that blows its head off; you have to sit over your knee a bit more, your seat light.’ He was impressed with Bluefields. “He’s like a little rubber ball, and he’s willing – he’ll make a good GP horse.”
collect at the pirouette markers but don’t pirouette, then forwards. The golden rule of pirouette is start small and get bigger. There’s a coefficient of two on pirouettes because they are hard!” And more humour: “Don’t drop your right ear down. You’re engaged, aren’t you? Get your future husband to buy you a really big diamond earring for your left ear so you can’t drop your right ear!” Finishing off
The last combination, Alexis Hellyer on Bluefields Floreno, is leaving for WEG next month: Here, Carl was finetuning, to, as he put it: “Rob the judges of extra marks.” The work was on pirouettes and it was down to business: “Straight on the centreline,
to go. The only criticism I have of Australian riders is that their reins are too long.”
And his final words? “I think this is the nicest group of guinea pigs I’ve had to work with.” What an accolade from the Master!! photos courtesy of: Stephen Mowbray
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
Next in was Shannan Goodwin’s Aristede, on the Reserve list for WEG. Five-year-old stallion Iresias L with Gina Montgomery getting advice from the Maestro. Shannan wanted to develop the Passage, so Carl with: “Very elegant. You’re a great addition to got her to do Piaffe first. “But don’t waste the the team!” Piaffe, just one step to get his hindlegs under him and go forward so the Passage is more Inevitably he was asked what he thought of forward and under,” he told her, adding that Australian riders. “Riders here have a nice she’d done a great job. “At thirteen he’s got way of going – I’m really impressed,” he said. plenty of improving he can do - you won’t be “Things might go wrong but there is a good Reserve next time!” understanding of the way the horse is meant
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Teamwork Makes the Dream Work Alexis Hellyer is the youngest rider selected on the dressage team for the World Equestrian Games in Tryon, in September. Cathy Binz sat down with Alexis at the property she shares with her life and business partner, Elliott Patterson. Q: At the Brisbane CDI you won the CDI Grand Prix, and the Grand Prix Freestyle; it was announced that you’d made the WEG team, and you participated in the Carl Hester Masterclass – have you recovered yet?
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
A: It’s been a bit of a whirlwind – but exciting! Carl was super-helpful. He went straight for the jugular, in the things I find hard in the Grand Prix. I loved his approach, I found him highly beneficial with Flo even’t though it wasn’t an easy situation because we hadn’t had a lesson with him prior to the Masterclass
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Q: Last time I spoke to you after Dressage with the Stars and you were a bit despondent because you didn’t win the GP there (although you did win the GP Freestyle). Did you think then that you would make it onto the team? A: I was more concerned for Flo - it’s taken a lot of time and travel to qualify him, dragging him up and down to Melbourne, and to gain a qualifier at DWTS would have meant one less trip to Melbourne. He’s very young – he only started his first Grand Prix in September last year!
Setting a new national freestyle point score record, Alexis Hellyer and 'Blufields Floreno' win the class with a score of 75.53%. photo courtesy of:
Stephen Mowbray
Q: You are the youngest member of the team - is this also your first time representing your country? A: Yes, apart from a Young Rider Derby I did in Melbourne when the New Zealanders came over, so it’s pretty amazing.
Q: How long have you had Flo? A: Two-and-a-half years. He’s a unique character but I loved his trainability from the start. We bonded immediately - he’s always over-trying. Elliott rode him as well, but it was me that really clicked with him. Q: What brand of saddle do you ride in? A: I ride in an Equipe Olympia sponsored by Trailrace saddlery. Q: What’s your favourite piece of equipment in your tackshed? A: Definitely the Sprenger Dynamic snaffle bit. We use it on pretty much everything, unless I want to practice in the double. Q: Who has been your biggest support? A: When I was a kid it was my mum, and obviously Elliott as well now. Trying for
Ferraro No Share
For more info click here.
Q: How can our readers support you to go to Tryon? A: We have a GoFundMe page that’s going really well and any donation would be greatly appreciated. We’ve also put together some Corporate Packages through the Australian Sports Foundation so it will be completely tax deductible on a corporate level. Alexis only has a couple of weeks to get organised to take herself and her horse to Europe, then the US, then back to Germany. To help her get to WEG go to: https://www.gofundme.com/help-alexis-getto-weg
Warmblood Mare Price: $45,0000 Sire: QEB Superstar Dam: QEB Swing on By FEI Mare Eve is an 11 year old, 16.2hh, Bay Warmblood. Would be an awesome interschool mount for a dedicated young rider. For more info click here.
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
Price: $4,200 Talented TB Gelding 5 year old, approx 15.2hh Bay OTTB Ferraro is kind, smart and willing. A super prospect for the show or dressage ring.
WEG was his idea. He said to me: “This is a good horse. I think we should go for it.” Teamwork makes the dream work as the saying goes, and it’s true.
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Graham Cooper, Guntini On Ice.
Sharne Cussen on A Little Whizzel Lace.
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Kate Elliot with Whizznt Me.
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Lisa Tietz with Me Lil Bently.
David Nixon on A Smooth Kitty.
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Down on Penny you’ll find her family
Newbold’s farm and animals,
and of course, horses…
A Horse by Any Other Name… Penny looks back at a lifetime of naming (or misnaming) her beloved equine companions.
T
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
he naming of horses (mine that is) has always been a challenge.
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Once I’d passed the obligatory ‘Star’, ‘Princess’, ‘Snowflake’ and ‘Blackie’ phase and moved on to the more exotic titles (like ‘Regal Dimples’ - it pains me to admit!) coming up with a show name became an artistic science. And something that I was convinced could ultimately determine the long-term future success or failure of my equine superstar. Things got trickier when I started to incorporate the all-important, (for my ego at least) breeding and parentage
Penny on Mullendorf - otherwise known as Mully. references. After I’d made the discovery of how important particular bloodlines were to my riding peers, it didn’t matter how distant the relation was, if it was there – even five generations back – it was relevant! The fact that I had very little
(none if I’m brutally honest) clue about how genetics even really worked in horses, didn’t dampen my enthusiasm. My theory, founded entirely in my imagination, was simple - if their name reflected a distant genetic connection to a superstar,
when they took to the show circuit!
Penny and Pacman eating up the opposition. then according to me it was absolutely guaranteed that the talent and ability of this distant relative would shine through. No doubt about it. So having been told that my first warmblood (ok, warmblood cross something – we weren’t quite sure with what) was great-grand-sired by Ludendorf, one of the few well known Australian warmblood stallions of the eighties era (well, the only WB stallion I’d heard of at the time), I proceeded to call her Mullendorf
(Mully for short of course). Oh dear. What was I thinking? A mate of mine took all the thought and angst out of the naming process by simply calling every horse he ever owned by the previous owner’s name. The first name was usually the ‘paddock’ name, while the surname was reserved for the ‘show’ name, so it wasn’t unusual for him to have a couple of Davids or Toms, in the paddock at any one time, who would transform into Smiths or Joneses
Themes would commonly develop between my friends and me – there were cartoon characters, street names, school teacher names, bands, rock stars, even liqueurs. I had an Astro Girl, a Pacman and a Black Label Whiskey at one stage. Add in a Buzz Lightyear, Batman, Superman, Kermit and Homer (courtesy of fellow riders who started following the trend) and the jumping entry list at the local agricultural shows started looking like the guest list to a fictional character reunion! As tempting as it was in the late 1990’s, I did manage to draw the line at Britney Spears though. And thank goodness for that. We ended being placed last in the line-up (not surprising, even to me) and it was then that it occurred to me that maybe show jumping was the better option. At least perfect presentation wasn’t compulsory.
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
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Your Club IN PROFILE
ACT SHOWJUMPING CLUB INC.
ACT Showjumping Cup 2018.
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
The ACT Showjumping club is an active sporting community that has been established in Canberra for over 30 years. They are a notfor-profit organisation dedicated to promoting the sport of show jumping within the Canberra region of Australia.
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a horse of their own are also invited to participate in club activities.
Services Managed and operated by volunteers, the club hosts: • Training days • Competitions • Instructional clinics • Social events
The Club has always been run, mentored and driven by its riders, families, friends and supporters ¬¬¬– these people are still the foundation on which the club is operated and influenced by today. Says the Club: “We hope that this will never change, and we will always endeavour to keep the club a community run organization, for the enjoyment and development of all its members.”
Volunteers
The ACT Showjumping Club currently has over 160 members, consisting of individuals and families. Riders of all levels of experience are welcome and our members range from show jumping professionals to absolute beginners. Showjumping enthusiasts without
www.actsjc.com.au
The club also supports the activities of other equestrian organisations within the region.
The ACT Showjumping Club is run by a team of dedicated volunteers who organise and run all the club's events. Please consider helping out on event days as even a few hours of your time makes a difference.
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
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A Life Lived In The Saddle Karen Lee has been riding in competitive Endurance events for 35 years, writes Jane Camens. Last year, at the age of 60, she was awarded the Elders and the Veterans awards by the Queensland Endurance Riders Association.
I
n July this year, Karen and her grey Arab gelding, Markus Romulus, had covered more than 1,500 kilometres in Endurance rides, all 100% completion, meaning that Markus Romulus has never been ‘vetted out’. His heart rate, temperature and all his vitals have passed the stringent checks done at course stages. This is a horse that Karen bought unbroken four years ago from the breeder Ian Blundell for $700.
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
At home with awards and sister Debra.
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“I’ve always been horse mad,” says Karen. “I learnt to ride at the Smokey Dawson Ranch outside Sydney. I’d go every weekend, pay for one ride and Smokey would let me ride all day.” At the age of 16, her family moved to the Northern Rivers where she was finally given a little horse, Dolly, which she shared with her two sisters. “I still have a descendent of Dolly in the paddock,” she says.
One of Karen’s sisters, Debra Minto, rides with her and both are active members of the local ATHRA club, Tweed-Byron Trail Horse Riders and are in an on-going struggle to keep the trails open for future generations. Through their ATHRA club, Karen and Debra applied for, and got, a small Federal grant to produce a map of the horse-friendly trails throughout the Northern Rivers of New South Wales. The map was launched this winter at a 20-kilometre Introduction to Endurance Riding event the club held, with council permission, at the North Byron Parklands. The maps are now available from local produce stores around Murwillumbah and should soon be up on the ATHRA website. That first Introduction to Endurance attracted about 30 riders, at least 15 of whom were new to the sport. It began with a talk on how to check temperature, pulse and respiration, and if anyone can teach a newbie about Endurance, Karen would be one of the best, having worked alongside the well-known former Endurance rider June Petersen. Karen used to ride for June, who has won Australia’s premier Endurance ride, the Tom Quilty, as well as the gruelling 400-kilometre Shahzada, which is held over five days. In 1990, June took her Australian stockhorse, Wertaloona Lionel, to Stockholm at her own cost to compete in a 160k Endurance ride. It got her onto the front page of Hooves and Horns. But the following year, June broke her leg. She asked Karen to do the ride on Wertaloona Lionel in her place. “I was unknown; a nobody,” Karen says. “In
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
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1991 I did my first 160k ride on that horse. I ended up in the top 10. He was the first Australian stockhorse across the line. I rode Lionel in only that one 160k event, but I rode another one of June's horses in my next - a mare called Abbeline Electra. She was my favourite horse to ride at the time and I went on to ride her in many events over 80 kilometres, winning awards for best-conditioned horse and lowest heart rate.” In 1997 Karen did the 160k Tom Quilty on Hurricane, a horse that had been given to her as an ungelded three-year-old: “When I started to break him in, he had a bad injury from jumping a barbed wire fence. So I didn’t know how sound he’d be,” she says. “He was 16 by the time he did the Quilty. He finished with the third lowest heart rate of the field. Two weeks later he did a pony club jamboree with my daughter. He was really fit.” With Markus Romulus, the grey who has
taken her so many kilometres in the past 12 months, Karen started his training slowly in order to help her sister Debra get into Endurance riding. ‘For the first two years we’d start 10 minutes after everyone else and do a nice slow pace. It’s only this year I’ve been competitive with him. He’s got third place a few times, but really I just like a nice country ride and to get through.” Keeping it in the family, Karen’s daughter Elisha is also horse-mad: Elisha swears that
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when she was a child her mother used to put her to bed dressed in jodhpurs to be up and riding before dawn. Karen would have Elisha’s horse saddled and ready, get her up, and then charge off into the dark calling out ‘Get on and follow me!’
On various trail rides with Markus Romulus.
‘To complete is to win’ is the endurance riders’ motto, and according to Karen, it’s the only way to participate in the sport. “Whether you come first or last, you and your horse are winners just for doing the distance and passing the vet check at the end of the event,” she says. “I enjoy spending time with my horses and building a special bond and partnership with them.” She has attended various natural horsemanship clinics and also practices body work on her horses. Every year, she gives her horses three months off during summer. At that time she cuts right back on feed, except for a calcium supplement, required because of the tropical grasses in her area that prevent horses from absorbing calcium. For anyone thinking of trying endurance, before you can compete you must have completed two 40k rides during an official event. For 40k rides, you don’t need to be a member of a State endurance association and can participate as a day member. Some of the events also offer 20k rides, which at least gives riders a taste of what’s in store.
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Karen advises that before attempting a start at an endurance ride it’s a good idea to vary the trails you ride, and to ride with friends on different horses. “Horses need to be able to negotiate all different types of terrain. Hills, creek crossings - and so on,” she says. “It’s beneficial to accustom your horse to having its temperature and heart rate taken, and to be able to trot out on a loose lead for vetting purposes. Above all, the horse must be ridden according to its fitness level at any event.”
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H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
Drawn 31/8/2018
NEWS & VIEWS FROM EQUESTRIAN HUB
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HUB SA D D L E R EV I EW
HorseViber Dannii Cunnane is big fan of the Childeric dressage saddles. She explains why. I rode in my first Childeric in 2015 and I was hooked; I bought my first saddle in 2016, a 17.5 inch DAC model and I’ve loved it. I’m lucky enough to ride a Thoroughbred with Warmblood movement but he’s a bit hard on the old lumbar region. Last year I decided to focus on my health and as a result, I got into shape and lost 30 kilos. The upside is that I can now fit into my old clothes. The downside is my saddle is now way too big for me.
Saddle r e v i e w : Childeric vs Childeric on the Saddle Hub. I’ve had it out on trial and I’ve found that the knee rolls are subtle but I like how they support my upper thigh. The DSG seat is fantastic, it really supports my posture and it’s a little bit deeper than the DAC. My preference is to now purchase the DSG.
Recently a wonderful DSG became available
We have a huge range of Childeric and non-Childeric saddles in the Saddle Hub warehouse. Why not check them out.
Buying or selling a horse? Avoid unpleasant disputes with you next equine transaction. Equestrian Marketplace is now providing professionally customised Buy/Sell Contracts. Go to the Hub Horses menu at H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
equestrianmarketplace.com.au
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Aries
y b s r a St pona E
Welcome to August, a one-step
forward, two-steps back dance that may test your patience and pride. Mars, the action planet, is still travelling backwards, and Mercury has now joined him in this retrograde motion. The key to handling the tricky energy is to relax, ease up on the knuckle-white grip and accept H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
that things are moving a little more
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sedately at this time. If you approach this energy like a wild horse hiding in the bush rather than a performance horse, you’ll find success. So, arms quiet, breath still, no sudden movements and vibe ‘all is well.’
For you fireball Rams, this is a time to switch to cruise control on the creative front and practice the art of allowing. Think play, recreation, romance and relaxation, lots of it. Us equines certainly will be, and if you model our behaviour, you’ll find less conflict and more positive return. Note: Children can kick up a fuss so be prepared.
Taurus
Thoughts and attention lean toward the home, family and symbiotic relationships, requiring you do some repairs. These might be physical, like fixing a tap, or emotional where you mend fences with neighbours or aggrieved clan. Be sure to give yourself enough ‘me’ time, selflove and nurturing. As for us two-legged Taureans, all we want to feel is home-sweet-home.
Gemini
Mercury is your ruling planet and when he turns retrograde it puts the Trickster in control of communication. This can be amazing for saying it like it is, but it can also be a little confronting or embarrassing. The problem with emails, text and Messenger is that they lack body language, and intentions can be misinterpreted. Use punctuation carefully.
Cancer
All two-legged and four-legged Crabs need more sleep this month. The real benefit is in dreaming. You want to let consciousness drift about in the field of possibilities, or for us equines, just drift around in a lush field. Messages well up with all the creative stimulation a person could ask for, so relax and notice the abundance of synchronicity coming your way.
Leo
Sagittarius
Virgo
Capricorn
Libra
Aquarius
Mercury retrograde ambles through your home sector affecting just about everything. The best bet is to face any quirks, kinks or bumps in the road with serenity and honest reflection. If you have a chance to go back and make things right, take it. Us Leonean equines will be a little more high-strung this month, so patience, sensitivity and kindness, please. You lead the way.
As your ruling planet takes you back in time to people, places and things you may or may not want to revisit, go with the flow. Resistance is counterproductive, so get in touch with what really gives you a sense of peace and happiness. Money and spending may go out of control but will balance out soon. Relax and trust the future.
Travel, time, appointments and reliable transportation becomes the Trickster’s playground this month. You will need to adjust. Take deep breaths, and remember, it’s not about forging ahead right now, but finding grace in the midst of contrast. Also, check batteries, tires radiators and tickets before you venture forth. Us Four-legged Librans will need extra coxing to achieve the results you want. Patience!
Scorpio
The well-being sector lights up this month making it paramount to listen to your body. If there are any niggling pains or complaints, reconsider your lifestyle. If anything feels like a chore, it’s time for a change. Us equines may need a little more maintenance than usual, so be ready for those vet, feed and tack bills. An ounce of prevention counts.
Partnerships, be they biz, creative or intimate, go a bit zany this month. It’s not the best time to come to any conclusions as misunderstandings pop up everywhere and messages are just plain lost. Sometimes even your gut feelings make mistakes, so if a choice can be delayed until September, do so. Hold off on any large purchases unless replacing worn-out equipment or retired stock.
Pisces
Mercury retrograde through your house of shared resources throws a wrench in the working parts of joint finances, income or debt. Things might grind to a halt. As you examine the problem with calm and confidence, you’ll discover creative ways to reorganize and restructure to your benefit. What started out as a calamity turns into a major improvement, so welcome the need for scrutiny. It serves you!
H O R S E V I B ES M AG A Z I N E
Career, mission or profession can feel like a journey through thick molasses this month. It’s not going as slowly as it seems, but still, prepare for maintenance mode where you ease up on immediate expectations and give everyone the benefit of a doubt. Trying to micromanage others, including us equines, may cause a train wreck, so tread lightly and trust. New doors open in September. It’s not far away!
Mercury retrograde touching off your link to friends, romance and groups can turn the usual gatherings into an emotional soup where wires get crossed and everyone ends up heading in opposite directions. Best to make light and laugh at the comedy of it all. As the dust settles, you’ll find a new perspective that improves connections and your goals for the future.
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NEWS & VIEWS FROM EQUESTRIAN HUB
Published by Equestrian Hub • PO Box 13 • Tintenbar NSW 2478 Phone: 0414 760067 • Email: info@equestrianhub.com.au www.equestrianhub.com.au