Atlanta Horse Connections Volume 24

24 TH EDITION - 2018

surging towards WEG

e g r a B e i m Ja

the retired

& Luebbo

RACEHORSE project part two

helping your horse survive

ALLERGY SEASON

horses without

HUMANS

training for the trainers

DRESSAGE TRAINERS’ SYMPOSIUM

SPORT

u

ENTERTAINMENT

u

T R AV E L

u

STYLE

u

COMPETITION

u

WELLNESS

35 6 11 12 13

16 18

20 26

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POLO & WINE THE GRACIDA LEGACY

INTERNATIONAL When Things Go Wrong

EVENTING

Not Just a Pretty Face / Part II

HUNTER JUMPER Jamie Barge & Luebbo

DRESSAGE

Trainer Symposium Hello, My Name is Pavlov Horses Without Humans

WELLNESS Roady’s Story

Allergy Season

SHORT STIRRUPS Silly Gil

what’s 31

34

35 37

INSIDE

ART S & ENTERTAINMENT Ireland’s Longueville House It’s Not a Matter of if...

POLO

Polo & Wine - The Gracida Legacy

EQ ST YLE

DeNiro Boots, Belts & More

YVONNE BARTEAU’S HORSES WITHOUT HUMANS

Trust and respect are two-way streets. We want the horse to accept us as leaders of the herd, to guide them safely and to provide protection and comfort. In return, they will give us their respect, and willing submission to our ideas about what to do next, and when and where. But this respect can only be based on well-deserved trust.

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– Walter Zettl

Heidi Caldwell Creative Director

Penny Morse Editor I had high hopes for 2018 but as the year goes by at hyper speed I have become more and more amazed by the attitude of the equestrian community.

Maureen Forman Lifestyle Editor

It seems as though common sense has left the building and been replaced by pandering, entitlement, a lack of responsibility and bullying. Yes, we are now judged by armchair experts, who themselves have been or are breaking the rules, using the excuse, ‘but I didn’t know’. We decide on a verdict without knowing all the facts, and happily join a vendetta because the person concerned is not ‘popular’.

Contributing Writers Yvonne Barteau Taylor Blumenthal Carolyn Broadly

So let me touch on some of the events over the past few months. If you are an athlete, you are subject to drug testing whether you are on your own two feet or on the back of your four legged partner. If you are on a medication subscribed by your physician, then tell those who need to know as requested. If you are taking something prescribed to your friend, but it helps you, then that is illegal. Play by the rules, and you will not be in trouble.

Kevin Downs Maureen Forman Carolyn Haward Jenny Kepano Noelle King

If you do not like a rider, and the way they get their job done, is it really your business? Do you know more than the officials or are you saying that all the officials are crooked? If you were not there, then you are not dealing with facts, you are making an assumption based on other people’s opinion. If you think that the officials are making inappropriate decisions and you saw it happen right in front of you and you are qualified to make that judgment, then you should document and report it to the powers that be with evidence. Other than that, you are just stirring a pot that most love to help stir.

Laura Lamb Candace Peters Betty Smith Amber Spiler Amelia White, DVM Bill Woods

Riders love sponsors but except for those picking up the tab, the little guys that sponsor a piece of equipment need the rider more than the rider needs them. Remember that, when you go to buy those particular stirrups, and they are out of business.

Yes there is bullying in the horse world and because it happens in schools, online and frankly just about everywhere these days, it is not OK. Don’t do it, think about it or tolerate it. I would hope horse people would be above such behavior.

Contributing Photographers Shannon Brinkman June Brewer

Finally, just because your friend ‘said’, does not necessarily mean your friend was correct. Throughout your life there will be changes. Some will be good and some will be questionable, but when there is a change, always have an open mind, because sometimes there just might be a reason that is relevant but you might not ‘need to know’.

Carolyn Broadly Lauren King Leslie Martin Longueville House

Let us all try to improve the equestrian world, not unwittingly destroy it. Although I have to wonder if some are just so miserable in their own lives they live to destroy others. To all of you that love to judge but are happy to break the rules themselves.

IF YOU ARE RECEIVING MONEY TO COACH, TEACH, OR RIDE that makes you a professional and you may NOT compete as an amateur.

So that concludes my words of wisdom for this issue. We have some great articles this time that will interest you all, from saving dogs to horses! Remember to keep you and your horse cool and hydrated in this hot weather!

Atlanta Horse Connections Magazine is part of City Horse Connections, an equestrian network bringing the equine world together, one city at a time.

Cover photo ©Shannon Brinkman

/atlantahorseconnections

Penny Morse All articles and pictures are owned and copyrighted by City Horse Connections, a subsidiary of JJP Group.

Reproduction of copyrighted material, without prior permission of the copyright owner, is illegal according to 17 U.S.C. Reproductions of copyright materials apply not only to traditional works such as books, photographs, drawings, etc., but also digital media such as music, movies and software. ©2018.

Get your new C4 Belt from Joanne Morse 770.313.6283 joannemorse1@yahoo.com

Full Service Boarding & Training Experienced Instruction Specializing in Young Horse through FEI

Jos & Laura Sevriens 678.641.2192 404.643.7523

Carolyn Haward FEI International Show Jumping Judge, Greece

when things go

WRONG

That’s right! Even the best organized events can go wrong. Judges are... surprisingly...human beings too and can make mistakes just like everybody else.

Equally, situations beyond our control have to be addressed. A solution has to be found for every problem and the buck stops in the judges’ box.

A PROBLEM COULD Be technical. For example, at a in the bell ringing out just at the moment when a Mexican national competition in Greece; in fact it was a Grand Prix rider was attempting to jump a large oxer. Both the rider and competition with money prizes (and competitors definitely horse were visibly shaken and collapsed into the middle of get rather more upset when money is involved!) when the the obstacle due to no fault of their own. Of course, the power supply failed for just a few time was stopped, the fence was rebuilt seconds while a rider was in the middle and the rider was allowed to continue of his course. The timing equipment on his way with no penalty. He actually hiccupped, and then stopped, which completed the course without faults meant that there was no electronic and left the arena happy. I, the judge time recorded for this competitor. As on the bell, had to continue judging is customary, two of the judges were that class using a large hand-held bell using stop watches, specifically to while leaning out of an open window. cover for problems such as this.

I must add that the weather was very Weather related problems at outdoor shows can One stop watch is held by the official cold and I ended up with virtually make things interesting from a judge’s point of view!

Time Judge, while the other is used frost bitten fingers! A large hand-held as a back-up by another judge. Problem solved. bell or, even better, a large bell hung outside the judge’s box on the wall between the windows is an invaluable piece of Another technical hitch came about while I was judging at equipment for occasions like this. Electric bell failure or an international event in Belgium. The damp early morning buzzer unserviceability is not such a rare occurrence as one weather caused a short circuit in the wiring system, resulting might think.

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Other problems can be weather related.

At outdoor shows, sudden gusts of wind can blow over obstacles, as we all know.

Sandbags on the wing supports can go a long way to dealing with the problem but I have witnessed a large oxer collapsing in a strong gust, unbeknownst to the rider who was at the other end of the arena with his back turned away from the sight of the falling poles. We judges always hope that the arena party are able to quickly rebuild any fence before the competitor approaches, but in this case they couldn’t. After a few stressful moments of watching the course builders vainly scrambling to rebuild it, the bell had to be rung to stop the rider in his tracks. In order to be as fair as possible, it is policy to only stop the time once we can see the rider begin to slow down. After that the bell is rung as soon as the fence is ready and the time restarted only when the rider has

reached the same point at which it was stopped.

immediately relay what was happening to the rest of the judges.

It’s not just the wind that can present a problem. After a damp but rather warm night, I arrived at the Olympic Equestrian Center near Athens to find everywhere, including the arena, covered in fog. From the box it was impossible to see more than the nearest fences.

There was no way we could start at the scheduled time but we were forced to wait for more suitable conditions. As at all shows, time was tight with a full schedule of classes to be run throughout the day. Solution? We started the first competition when the fog had started to lift but the two fences at the far end of the field were still enveloped in mist and invisible to us in the box. The answer was for a member of the ground jury with a walkie talkie to be placed near those two fences to enable him to

Then of course there are the problems caused by human error. I have experienced a national judge, sadly not a very good one as it turned out, write the score sheet for a competition without realizing that a certain jump that she was scoring as though it was a single effort, was in fact a double.

That being bad enough, the problem was compounded by her failure to notice the error throughout the whole two hour competition! Talk about lack of concentration! It was only when I was asked to sign off the score sheet at the end of the competition that the situation became evident, necessitating a full rewriting of the whole score sheet.

Fortunately, I had recorded every fault of each rider on my own start list so I was able to rectify the situation by

When everything looks right!

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writing another complete score sheet, which took a good half hour. This, in turn, naturally caused a delay with resultant knock-on effects leading to a late start in the following competition.

Even timekeepers are human and can make mistakes! One sleepy fellow I remember forgot to arm his machine before the competitor came through the finish line. This meant that the time was still running on the electronic scoreboard in full view of all the spectators and competitors. But all was not lost. As mentioned before, at least two stop watches are always used by the judges in addition to the electronic timing system.

However, the machine in question also produced a print-out of each rider’s real time as he passed through the start and the finish. Some simple mathematics gave us the accurate length of time. The problem was solved but not without a lot of consternation and complaints from those watching from around the arena.

speaking very little English and no French!

Also present in the box was myself doing the announcements on the microphone in English and Greek but fortunately (phew!)

I could speak French as well.

Yet another time problem occurred during a Junior Balkan Championship event, where, unusually, one judge from each of the Balkan countries is invited to officiate. As is known, up to a few years ago international judges could qualify with FEI in either English or French, whereas now this has been amended so that all new judges must be able to converse in English. The Balkan Championship being long established resulted on this occasion in the judge on the bell being Turkish but speaking English, the judge responsible for keeping the time being Serbian speaking both English and French, whereas the judge calling the faults was Romanian and spoke French but virtually no English.

To add further to the confusion, the timekeeper on the machine was Greek,

After three or four riders with a rather large number of time penalties, I began to suspect something was not quite right and queried the timekeeper. He checked his machine and...oops...realized his mistake. I could see the judges blithely continuing their jobs, unaware of the developing situation. A short gap between announcements gave me the chance to explain to the judge on the bell that there was a problem with the timing. The competition would have to be paused to give enough time to recalculate the scores and for the timekeeper to reset his machine. The Turkish judge still hadn’t grasped the situation and rang the bell for the next rider to start his course, while the Romanian judge continued calling the faults, beyond all comprehension of what

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A difficult situation was brewing. The final complication was triggered by the timekeeper, Mr. Sleepy, who had forgotten to reset his machine since the jump off in the previous class. So...here we had the timing set to penalize every second over

was going on. At this point I resorted to declaring, in a rather loud voice, “Stop the competition!”

Then I fully explained what had happened, first in English, then in French, while the timekeeper got his machine in order! I also had to make a somewhat embarrassing public announcement about ‘a technical problem’ and read the corrected scores. Ten minutes later we all took up our positions and continued the class. Sorted, finally!

So... here we had the timing set to penalize every second over the time allowed by one penalty point, when it should have been one point for every 4 seconds! the time allowed by one penalty point, when it should have been one point for every 4 seconds! Plus, let’s remember the 3 judges who couldn’t fully and effectively communicate with each other...not quite a ticking time bomb but certainly time was ticking away fast!

Other hitches occur on the field of play too: dogs on the course, arena party members nonchalantly standing behind a fence while a rider approaches, or one of the arena party standing in the middle of a triple fence while a rider approaches!

Conversely, I have seen a young rider cantering up to a fence without waiting for the bell to restart the course and a builder is still there trying to rebuild the obstacle, his life put in danger!

It all keeps us judges on our toes! A judge must never lose concentration even if working for hours on end. We have a duty to be alert at all times. No wonder I feel pretty tired at the end of every event!

We also have to keep up to date with all the rules: General Rules, Jumping Rules, Veterinary Rules, Steward’s Manual to mention but a few, not forgetting the regular amendments which FEI makes.

And NO...for the judges it isn’t just a simple job of 4 faults for a fence down, as many people seem to think.

Photos by Coglianese Photos/Leslie Martin and Lauren King

not just a

PRETTY FACE

Betty Smith & Taylor Blumenthal

This is part 2 of a 4-part series that follows the transition of a Thoroughbred racehorse coming off of the track through his re-training and onto his next career Fact: The horse industry contributes approximately $50 billion in direct economic impact to the U.S. economy, and has a direct employment impact of 988,394 jobs.

(Source: American Horse Council Foundation’s 2017 National Economies Impact Study: www.horsecouncil.org/ economics) Fact: The estimated number of horses in the U.S. are 7.2 million (Source: American Horse Council Foundation’s 2017 National Economies Impact Study: www.horsecouncil. org/economics) Fact: The estimated number of horses by activity are: Recreation – 3,141,449: Showing – 1,227,986; Racing – 1,224,482 and Working – 537,261 (Source: American Horse Council Foundation’s 2017 National Economies Impact Study: www.horsecouncil.org/economics)

Best Fact: A lucky horse might find himself in the Thoroughbred Makeover program, presented by Thoroughbred Charities of America at the Kentucky Horse Park, featuring $100,000 in prize money for nearly 200 horses competing in ten disciplines after less than ten months of second career re-training.

Patience and Relationship Building Q: In our first chat, you were getting Sammie settled in a barn and beginning his new routine. What have you been doing to ‘get on the same page’?

Taylor: Not as much riding as I had hoped! He has proven to be a very nervous horse. Not “hot” – but when something sets him off, it’s hard to re-focus because of his anxiety level. So, we have been taking it slow. Lots of ground work trying to get him to look to me for comfort. He has also had a couple of injuries. Thankfully they have been minor but setbacks AHC

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Accidents and setbacks are the name of the game and can be expected. OTTBs are accident prone!

nonetheless. OTTBs can be accident prone when transitioning.

Track life is pretty controlled.

Q: What was his life like on the track?

Taylor: When they are actually at the track they get no turnout.

They are in stalls until it’s time to work and they often work 6 days a week – rain or shine. Their lives are extremely regimented. They are not pets. On the track, these horses are a number rather than a name. The grooms do their job, the jockeys do their job, and the horses are expected to do their job.

It’s not the partnership that we look to have with show horses or companions.

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Q: There seem to be 2 different schools of thought on the process of moving from Race Track Life to an OTTB’s next career. Some believe that these horses should stay in work by moving straight to their next job. Some believe that these athletes should have a “let down” period.

Which method do you prefer?

Taylor: It depends. It always depends on the horse! I’ve had success with both methods. I generally prefer a ‘let down’ period. With the relatively short-term goal of the Retired Racehorse Project I planned to give Sammie less let down time. However, he made it clear he wasn’t interested in an arbitrary timeline. Fair enough! For now, it’s all about relationship building.

Q: What is an example of something that you have done to help with his transition?

Taylor: I just try to be around him as much as I can whether that’s grooming, hand walking, riding or just visiting him out in the field. I take him in the arena while other horses are working. I’m just trying to show him the sights and sounds and pace of his new life.

Q: Sounds like patience is the name of the game right now! How do you stay motivated and engaged in the seemingly slow process?

Taylor: Honestly, it’s not always easy.

Paying clients come first. I have life and family commitments to juggle as many of us do. I remind myself that this is the hardest part. If I just keep showing up, in a year this will be a distant memory and he will be as easy as all of my other horses.

For a little extra motivation this month, I went to the Kentucky 3 Day to watch some OTTBs that have very successfully transitioned to a second career. These aren’t always the most uncomplicated horses but they have proven over and over that given a they chance they can be Dream Makers!

Check out www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/ articles/227129/off-track-thoroughbreds-readyfor-ky-three-day-event

Q: So until we meet again, what are your plans for Sammie’s near future – besides the snuggles and hugs?

Taylor: Riding, riding and more riding.

Fingers crossed everyone and I’ll pull out the bubble wrap! We are now 5 months out from the Makeover competition and

I can count on one hand the number of times that I’ve been on his back. This process may not be all rainbows and unicorns, but somedays I feel like Sammie just might kind of like his new life!

About Taylor Blumenthal: A dressage and 3-phase eventing

Canada and Europe vying for $100,000 in prize money. The

trainer living outside of Atlanta, GA with her husband, toddler

event will take place October 4-7, 2018 at the Kentucky Horse

and two dogs. Taylor has ridden more OTTBs than she can count

Park. The RRP with its current format and location began in 2013

and spent some time galloping racehorses and steeplechasers

and has grown steadily over the last 4+ years. This is not simply

at the race track early in her career so the Retired Racehorse

a competition, it is a showcase of the breed and a gathering

Project seems like a perfect fit. Taylor is the assistant trainer at

of thoroughbred enthusiasts committed to helping these athletes

Shannondale Farms, a USEF Elite training facility in Alpharetta,

transition to life after the track. Horses ridden by over 300

GA. She currently has a loyal group of adult amateur students

trainers will compete in a variety of disciplines: barrel racing,

and several horses in training or as sale prospects for their

competitive trail, dressage, eventing, field hunters, freestyle, polo,

owners.

show hunters, show jumpers, and working ranch. Each division’s top finishers compete on in a finale to determine the winner

About Valoordo: (Sammie) A handsome 2013 dark bay

of each discipline. The crowd favorite from the 10 discipline

gelding by Niagara Causeway who has raced 24 times with

winners will also be awarded the title of American’s Most Wanted

3 wins and a career earnings of $45,544. His last race was

Thoroughbred which brings an additional $10,000 prize. To be

December 11, 2017. He came home on Dec. 27, 2017 to begin

eligible to compete, horses must have raced after July 1, 2016,

his next career.

and may not have started specific second career training before December 1, 2017.

About the RRP: The Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover brings competitors from all over the United States,

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Maureen Forman Shannon Brinkman Photography

JAMIE

LUEBBO

A competitive partnership gearing up for WEG WHILE JAMIE BARGE SITS in 12th place in the Rolex/

“Luebbo has bonded us; all of us. From his rider as a young

USEF Show Jumping Rankings, we spoke to her after her

horse, to me, my whole team, everyone who has been lucky

phenomenal performance with her horse Luebbo, (who

enough to work with Bo. We have had some amazing

is in 8th place in the horse rankings) representing the

experiences together because of this horse. I bought

USA in Paris. This performance put her on the short list

Luebbo from Karl Brocks, who showed him as a young

representing the USA at WEG later this year.

horse. I’ve had him since the end of his 8 year old year. Karl and I have become good friends; we have a strong bond

“I’ve owned Bo for almost 4 and a half years now. I feel that

because of this special horse. Karl came to World Cup

I know him pretty well, but he can still surprise me! We

Finals in Paris to support us on the ground. I think it says a

have grown so much together. I feel that I have gained his

lot for Luebbo to still have us both, and our families, in his

trust and that has allowed me to teach him to stay calm

life. He is a much beloved horse (and he knows it!).”

and focused. In the same way, that has kept me calm and focused, which I feel lead to me gaining confidence in

“I am really excited to be on the short list for the WEG

him. I was lucky to get Luebbo and most people thought

and for the experience of showing in some big 5* shows

“You want to buy WHAT?” We had some scary moments

in Europe. The experience at these big shows will be good

together but I think our heart for this sport got us both

training for us. I’m especially excited for Dublin. We have a

through it together and made us stronger.”

lot of really strong top riders right now and I know USA will have a good team at WEG. I am planning to go watch.”

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Anne Zaharias with Chris Hickey

Dressage Training Solutions

TRAINER SYMPOSIUM When you have Anne Gribbons, Jeremy Steinberg and Chris Hickey all under the same roof at the same time you know something special is going to happen. Not your usual clinic with one or two riders trying to impress the clinician while at the same time hoping to improve, but a symposium.

What is a symposium? According to the dictionary, a conference or meeting to discuss a particular subject. Certainly not a clinic, but an event where one can observe local professional trainers, working with some of the best trainers in the dressage world. Chris Hickey reiterated that this was the first time this trio of trainers had worked together for this type of event.

The riders have to be commended for putting themselves in the hot seat, so to speak. This was not just being critiqued by someone more knowledgeable, but by three very distinguished trainers, in front of one hundred and fifteen auditors who were encouraged to participate.

The event, sponsored by GDCTA and hosted by Shannondale Farm, USEF Elite Center in Milton, Georgia did not disappoint the auditors although I am sure it had the riders

a little apprehensive! The format was designed to create constructive criticism and solutions among a group of professionals to improve overall dressage training and lead everyone to a better understanding of possible solutions. Eight professional riders were selected to present in pairs in one hour riding sessions. The lead instructors talked about the strengths and weaknesses of the combination, asked questions of the rider, and allowed for the Instructor Panel (fellow riders) to voice their opinions on possible solutions or exercises to improve the issues. All solutions followed the training scale, but emphasized the creative options we have when working with horses.

The symposium ran from Training/1st level to Grand Prix. One of the riders, Marjolien Geven, was awarded a ‘6’ from Anne Gribbons for a half-pass and then invited Chris and Jeremy to improve the score.

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Marjolien Geven

Chris identified issues with throughness, contact and low power going into halfpass, saying the horse should ‘bounce off the wall’ into the movement. Jeremy echoed this saying the first step is critical as it is difficult to correct once underway.

The pair was prepared for collected work by ensuring the hind legs pushed through from behind and downward transitions improved forwardness and throughness improving the quality of extended trot and piaffe.

Julie Cochran

Chris suggested Grand Prix rider Julie Cochran, to ride pirouettes in 10 minute sections of a clock, moving out on the 50 minute mark to prevent rushing. Proper preparation ensured her horse’s outside hind was on the center line. The pair’s final pirouette was more relaxed and harmonious. Chris had Julie ride passage from piaffe, as a ‘creeping piaffe’ with shorter steps behind with her horse, Coracao’s pelvis tucked under him.

From transitions and 20 meter circles, to training the piaffe without physical or mental tension, eight local trainers and their partners subjected themselves to the scrutinizing eyes of some of the best dressage trainers in the country.

Connection, throughness, engagement, responsiveness, control of tempo and straightness were recurring themes throughout the day. The panel offered complementary approaches reiterating good preparation, fairness, consistency, and accurate repetitions to train rather than un-train. Correct basic movements were the foundation for higher demands, and transitions improved responsiveness and engagement.

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Leah Marks was encouraged by Anne to control the trot tempo so Casin would use his top line, and be prepared for lengthening by increasing engagement with shoulder-in and leg-yield. Downward transitions sharpened Lynne Jones elegant horse; elevating his forehand in passage and improving his step in piaffe.

Anne Zaharias’ Lusitano mare Ellie was more relaxed on the Sunday compared to

being very tense on the Saturday. Canter work encouraged the horse to breathe and Jeremy explained that gentle fatigue reduced stress levels.

The panel assisted Erin Bell Altman to improve responsiveness using haunches-in on a circle to engage and ‘unstick’ the hind legs. Downward transitions with a touch of the whip encouraged hind legs to come under into the halt.

Jeremy demonstrated the beginnings of teaching piaffe, assisting Christy Scotch and Darya from the ground and encouraging the horse to rotate its pelvis and bring the hind legs underneath. He emphasized that this work be slow and progressive, eliciting no adverse physical or mental reactions.

Lindsey Hollenger’s young ‘wiggly’ chestnut gave the trainers the chance to emphasize the need to train consistent gaits. Downward transitions in shoulderin encouraged transitions on the hind leg, improving connection. Leg-yielding in canter encouraged the horse to jump from the rider’s inside leg to outside hand. Chris

Christy Scotch and Jeremy Steinberg

emphasized that asking for canter is training for flying changes.

Stephanie Pair-Kavitz practiced shoulder-fore which the trainers reminded is a displacement then replacement onto the track.

Claire Coman and Quigley became a more cohesive unit after leg-yielding on a circle and riding serpentines from inside leg to outside hand. Leg-yield then shoulder-fore/in are the first lateral moves Anne uses in training and returning to these through training can address many issues.

Erin Bell, Lindsay Holleger, Chris Hickey and Anne Gribbons

The trainers kept the work flowing with Tawny Williamson’s chestnut horse encouraging his brain to focus. Walk-canter-walk transitions encouraged roundness, lifted his poll and brought his hind legs under him. Anne commented that the transitions had woken the horse up!

Erin McCloud improved Veyron’s lengthened strides, setting him up from lateral movements.

The day ended with Erin riding a lovely series of movements while Chris coached her to encourage Veyron’s elasticity.

Claire Coman and Anne Gribbons

If you see a ‘symposium’ offered in your area, take the time to attend and learn. The riders, who are considered to be some of the best in the Atlanta area, were participating because they are well aware that however good you may think you are, there is always something more to learn.

With plans to hold a similar event next year, hopefully with warmer weather, we believe there will be an even larger audience ready to learn about the ‘solutions’.

Thanks to Caroline Broadly and June Brewer for putting this article together.

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Bill Woods

Hello, my name is Pavlov.

RING A BELL?

In the acknowledgements at the back of DRESSAGE Unscrambled, I thanked my teacher of many years, (the late) Anders Lindgren, for showing me that dressage could be both good AND not deadly serious.

THIS STORY IS NOT going to be about a certain occasion 25 years ago. Then Major Lindgren was probably as old as I am now – which ain’t exactly young – and I was meeting him in a hotel lobby for dinner. We were waiting for his wife, Puci, to come downstairs, and the Major suggested we might have a beer. We strode into the lounge which was nearly empty. He leaned his elbow onto the bar and with a straight face announced to the fetching young woman working there, we are two young lions working for world peace. We must have a drink!

Nor is this the tale he related of his younger days as a cavalry officer, a story which pre-dated the Meatloaf scene in Rocky Horror but similarly, until their youthful excesses were reined in, involved motorcycles careening up and down the stairs of an ancient castle in which his company was bivouacked.

As Major Lindgren explained, the circumstances which prevailed in the Swedish cavalry of the 1950s allowed a relationship to the horses which sixty years later we rarely find. For one, the pool of horses to choose from was vast.

He likened it to a modern senior officer calling down to the motor pool to have 20 Humvees sent up to headquarters; and if,

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upon testing them out, a few that arrived were found not to be suitable, well, send them back and requisition a few more. In the cavalry the horses that didn’t make the grade as officers’ mounts could be put to lots of menial tedious tasks. Have them pull the cannon or haul a fat private around the back roads of Uppsala.

The luxury of being able to say, – no this horse simply isn’t going to make it; is not available to most of us in this day and age. The economics of horse purchases is once you’ve bought it – and realized you’ve made a mistake – you’re pretty much stuck with it. Who can afford to eat 30 or 50 thousand dollars and start over?

Consequently, a lot of bad riding takes place as trainers bend their principles and go to the tack trunk to find forceful solutions to horses that were never meant to do what they were being asked to perform.

In addition to exiling a rogue to cannon hauling, in the closed cavalry culture, the officers could pass the governmentowned horses back and forth from one rider to another.

The story Lindgren told was of a particularly vexing animal that could do all the Grand Prix – except for the passage.

For whatever historical reason when his

rider put his leg on the horse’s sides to ask for passage, the horse just blew up. It was ugly. These were the days of showing where towards late afternoon the officers would gather in the bar to regale one another with their triumphs and disasters, and the regular rider was lamenting his inability to get through a Grand Prix test on a horse with such obvious physical talents.

Imagine boys being boys and picture Top Gun with spurs and more than a few rounds of drinks. Lindgren had brazenly declared that HE could show the horse successfully, and amid some raucous teasing and the placing of wagers, he was primed to prove it or eat crow.

As Anders told me the story, the horse became his to train, and every day after his ring work, he would hack out cross country to one particular place – the top of an embankment below which

was nestled a railroad track in a manmade gully. Each day at ten after eleven, a train would chug by, drawn by an old wheezing steam engine, belching smoke.

The train would come up behind them, and nervously the animal would start to prance. As he did, Lindgren would begin to whistle. Day by day, the routine would be repeated until the horse would associate the whistling with the new pace and perform it on command without the train being present.

When Maj. Lindgren took the horse to a show, the other officers lined the rail, hoping to collect on their bet, eagerly expecting to see the horse bolt and blow when it was time to put the aids on to make passage.

the whistling and began to passage in a perfectly relaxed way. Some watchers wanted to cry foul, but the judges in their glassed-in booths heard nothing, and simply scored what they saw.

The wager was won. Yes, we can admit that some trickery was employed, but sometimes it’s all about making sense to your horse. Cut through the fog of confusion. Make his job obvious and simple. And arrange a circumstance in which he can feel rewarded. Classical?

Probably not; but an example of outsidethe-box thinking that riders with a lack of creativity, would never come up with.

And besides, haven’t we all heard that famous advice which dwarfs all others: as you labor, whistle while you work!

That time arrived, but instead of the dreaded seat and leg, the horse heard

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1/18/17 7:34 AM

Yvonne Barteau

I WAS BORN TO BE A HORSE TRAINER that much I know. I followed my destiny from book horses, to imaginary ones, from sleeping in a stall to sitting in an owner’s box at the finish line of the Kentucky Derby. Our business KYB Dressage is formed of two lifetime horse trainers, Kim and I am the Y.

“I believe, the knowledge I have garnered from hundreds of horses these past many years has uniquely prepared me for this next, most important chapter of my life.”

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In the telling of our current circumstances I must go back a few years. We were making the first Into the Spotlight Movie, a documentary which was to focus on the care, selection and training of equine theater horses. Something my husband Kim and I have decades of experience with. I had some general help with research and statistics during this first movie and as current statistics and information came my way, the ugly, and often swept under the carpet subject of unwanted horses in America became an impasse for me. Further research magnified the bleak and horrifying circumstances these hundreds of thousands of horses face just as I was shining a spotlight on pampered, beautifully costumed, trained and cared for equine theater stars. The focus

own. I believe that any and all people who make their living in the equine business should be the first to give back. If only these folks stepped forward we could be a nation that says no. Our horses DO NOT ship to slaughter because that is an unspeakable ending for an animal that arguably has been man’s best friend through the ages.

of the movie shifted in a way which I hoped would send out two

repurposing these horses so they can find someone who will see

messages. Horses ARE incredible magical creatures, capable of wonders that captivate thousands of new enthusiasts each year.

Why then can that same magical creature, the only animal capable of competing at an Olympic Games as a competitor run the risk of being crowded onto a truck and across our borders towards an unspeakable end?

them at their best and hopefully offer them a forever home. What we can do that many rescues cannot, is provide much needed assessment, training and marketing for these horses so they can attract their new owner. Here is where we the horse lovers of America and beyond must unite. We need not agree on breed, tack, grooming or shoeing issues but we do need to agree on this one fact. We must speak up and take responsibility for this blight on our industry.

The details of the horror do not need to be discussed here nor are they in the movie. They are real enough but my goal is to end this horror not examine it. How? By starting with me; the person who looks back at me from my bathroom mirror each morning. The movies and any income that came in from them, I could donate that. The proceeds from my two books. Not much, but I could donate that as well. Still, not enough. Time; hard for every busy person to invent or readjust my time but I did that as well. Most important on my list is educating ALL horse lovers, and the future ones, to be mindful and caring to those with no voice of their

Our 501c3 Horses without Humans was formed in summer of 2017. Since then we decided to focus on horses that might become auction bound which is a route that often leads directly into the slaughter pipeline. We take in owner surrenders, or buy horses in jeopardy from auctions with the intent on retraining and

So...we moved. To Bell, Florida. Rock Bluff Ranch. A beautiful 120 acre equine paradise that has room to expand our rescue operation as well as maintain our current one so we can continue to pay our bills. That is where we are now. Setting up, putting programs in place and welcoming and training both people and horses to the Ranch with the hopes of making a difference.

More soon!

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Roady’s Story For most people Thanksgiving Day is a fairly routine holiday, late morning, small breakfast, cooking and football, dinner is almost always served midday and your asleep by 6:30 full of turkey and tryptophan. I thought my day would be just that, routine, full of laughs and asleep by 6:30, but I would find out early on that this was not quite the case. Something, be it God, the universe or whatever you may believe in had other plans for me today.

CANDACE PETERS AND KEVIN DOWNS

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AROUND 1:30 in the afternoon my step brother, Joey and I decided to take our two dogs, Talia and Kunu, for a walk to help build our appetites and because, let’s face it, we could use the exercise. Typically when we walk the dogs we stick to our neighborhood, do about a 2.6 mile round trip walk that’s just enough for my lazy dog to barely start lagging behind, all while staring at me with a look that I assume says, “Dad, what the hell! Are we done yet?”

Now on this particular walk, I wasn’t even going. I happened to glance out my window to see Joe with both dogs walking down the street, and for whatever reason, decided, “Kevin, get up and go walk your damn dog.” So I did. I ran down the street, caught up with Joe and the dogs, and off we went. Rather than take our usual route we decided to skip the cul-de-sacs, and just go to the front of the neighborhood, turn around and come back. This amounted to about a mile round trip. When we got to the top of the neighborhood, Joe looks at me and says, “Let’s do something we never do…”

Joe wanted to take the dogs into the neighborhood across the street and walk that neighborhood. It is definitely worth noting, that this is something we NEVER had done before. So we went, and the dogs couldn’t have been more excited to experience a new location. At this point we’ve gotten to the end of the new neighborhood and have started to backtrack to get home for turkey and pie.

In this particular neighborhood there are a lot of the residents that use the electric fence collars and allow their dogs to roam freely in the yard and as we got closer to one of those yards I noticed what had

to be the worst, most malnourished dog I have ever seen. When we got closer it became very apparent that he was blind, starving and scared, but he walked up to me in the street, allowed me to pet him, then turned back into the strangers yard to sit next to their very healthy dog.

At this point I knew that there was no way I could go home and ignore what I just saw, forget it and enjoy my thanksgiving dinner, after seeing what had to be a dog on his last few hours. I damn near sprinted home with my dog, grabbed some food and a gallon of water and jumped in the car. I told myself that if he was still there than I was going to do whatever I could and that at the very least I was bringing in the less fortunate for a thanksgiving feast.

I made my way back to the neighborhood and did about 3 laps, ready to give up,

“Roady” was discovered blind, starving and very scared before I found him in the same yard, with the same dog. I tried to see if anyone was home, asked the neighbors if anyone recognized him, and once I was sure that he didn’t belong to anyone there I loaded him up and brought him home. He ate and drank, and ate and drank. Our dogs

and he were definitely not sure what they thought of each other, but Turkey (that’s what I called him at the time) was definitely the more vocal about his feelings. I’m assuming it was out of fear, because he was most certainly blind from cataracts.

We let him seek asylum from the cold in our home that night and my father and his wife were visiting for the holidays. With no plan and no clue what to do with this poor dog I asked my dad if they wanted him, to which he replied, “hell no.” Fast forward an hour and my dad has had a chance to get to know him and completely changed his tune…” Hey Kevin, if you get him to the vet, get his shots...we’ll take him.” Oh, after I’ve paid the initial investment, gotcha.

Little did I know how much this guy was going to end up costing! I posted a few pictures on Facebook and asked for help to locate his former owners because he was definitely not a stray. He was way too wellmannered and old to have survived at his weight and age on his own for that long.

I knew no one would claim him because I was almost certain that he was dumped.

The more I learned about his health, the more positive I was that someone decided to give up on their loving animal.

Through Facebook I received so much advice, well wishes and support, but again, no one claimed him. My girlfriend works at a local vet so she came to see him that day and we made an appointment for him the next day, black Friday, at her office. About the same time that we set up the appointment I get a message from a woman that would end up making the biggest impact on his future and being one of the most important people to him and me. We’ll get back to her tomorrow. So the appointment is set for 2:30 on black Friday.

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My girlfriend picked him up on her lunch break, and I met them there after work.

When she met me in the lobby I could tell from her face that things were definitely not looking good for Turkey (official name change has not yet happened). She tells me that he is definitely blind from cataracts and those cataracts are a by-product of his diabetes. At this point I’m in the back room with one of the vets, and it’s worth noting that I am not a normal client of this vet, have never been there and they don’t know me either so I will never fault them for the advice they gave me. They wanted to do about $1100 worth of work, emergency insulin, IV’s for fluid, blood work and keep him for a few days. And then the Dr. tells me that that’s just for this, we have

no clue what else may be going on with him or if he even has heartworms and that’s another $800 to $1000 and he may not even survive treatment.

So now I have a decision to make and to help with that decision, the vet asks if they would like to go ahead and check to see if he has heartworms or not. I’ll save you the suspense, he does. I think my girlfriend knew that there was a chance that I would spend the $1100, but there was no way I was able to spend $2000 on this dog I met

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yesterday, and when she tested his blood and saw the heartworms it brought her to tears because in her mind, she had just sealed his fate. I told the doctor that I wanted to take him home for one more night, give him a steak, a burger, and whatever else he wanted and then I would make an appointment for euthanasia the next day. Thank God that I decided to do that!

Dr. Andrews first reached out to me on Thanksgiving Day, offering to check him out free of charge, before we knew anything about him. I thanked her and said that I had already made an appointment elsewhere but that I would update her on what they tell me

because she seemed interested. That one simple update, that short message to her is what literally saved his life.

terrible or cried so much, especially over a dog I met yesterday. Now if you could see me, or knew me, you would know I’m not an emotional individual. I spent 8 years in the Marines, I wrestled in high school, fought, shot, and consider myself a man’s man. I sat in my car and cried, because I was ending this dog’s life, not because of some life threatening disease that treatment would probably not correct it, not because he was old, and lived a long happy life and it was time, but because I couldn’t afford insulin, and IVs and overnight stay at the vet. None of his issues was necessarily life threatening.

Don’t get me wrong, he was in bad shape, he was 42 lbs. where he should have been 60+ and who knows what his blood sugar levels were, but he wasn’t facing some life threatening illness, cancer or disease – just hunger and diabetes.

“What do you charge for euthanasia?”

That was one of the hardest moments of my life. Sitting in my car coming back from his appointment, where the options were, $1100 or euthanasia. This dog is sitting next to me, eyes closed, mouth open, tongue out, tail wagging, happier than he’s been in a while. And I was sitting right next to him calling around to see who had the best price to kill him. I have never felt so

I had made an appointment with my vet to do a euthanasia the very next day at 12:30, Saturday, 2 days after Thanksgiving, was supposed to be Roady’s last day alive.

I made the appointment sounding like a blubbering idiot, as soon as I said I needed to schedule euthanasia, the receptions voice got softer; she could hear it in mine, as much as I was trying to hold back the emotion. I got off the phone and saw the

response from Dr. Andrews...

“Have you thought about treating the diabetes and slow kill on heartworms?”

WHAT?! That’s an option? No one gave me those options...what do you mean? We started to talk, I got a little more excited, the tears started to go away, and I started to feel a whole lot better. Dr. Andrews told me to come see her at 11:30 that Saturday, an hour before his appointment for euthanasia. On her day off, when her clinic is closed, she met me herself. We walked in and I can’t imagine what she thought when she first saw him, but on the counter she had what looked like a full diabetic dog survival kit. A giant bag of dry diabetic dog food, 6 cans of diabetic wet food, 100 insulin needles, and a bottle of insulin. I asked her the price and she said, it’s around $300, but bring him to see me Monday, and pay me then. Having never met me and knowing nothing about me, she let me walk out of her clinic with $300 worth of supplies that I could have kept this dog alive with for a month, with nothing but the faith that I would come back to see her the following Monday.

That was all I needed, I was determined, I was going to keep this darn dog alive no matter what I had to do. I started researching diabetes in dogs, refreshing myself on the things that I know and understand about how insulin and glycogen work in the human body and applying those same ideas to Roady. I researched diets, vitamins, tips and tricks. I found his food online, his insulin, and heartworm meds, everything I needed. Dr. Andrews helped me the whole time. She preferred that I ordered online because it saved her from having to do it and it allowed me

to save on the price. I found recipes that other diabetic dog owners cooked for their dogs. That discovery alone saved me almost $50 a month because I can now make a month worth of his food for about $20.

I started figuring out how to find the best deals, use coupons, maximize on shipping costs, build reward points and bring the costs down. At this point I can keep a diabetic dog alive and well for a month under $100. Roady is about 60 lbs., regulated, and is the happiest, most mischievous blind dog you would ever meet.

There are a few lessons that I learned from my blind diabetic dog. Don’t think that putting the other dogs food on the counter or table will stop him, because even a blind dog can manage to get on the table... literally, on the table. Not two legs, but all four legs, on my pub height kitchen table, to get the dog food bowls that we were trying to keep him away from. Blindness in a dog isn’t that big of an obstacle. He only has to run into something once before he always knows it’s there, and unlike humans, vision is not his primary sense, smell is. He makes his way around just fine. ALWAYS ask what the other options are, and if your vet doesn’t have any, then don’t be afraid to get a second opinion. There may not be another option every time, but then again, there might be. And that has never been truer than in Roady’s case. Have faith.

Whatever it is that you believe in, whatever you feel, think or know, have faith. If anything had gone differently at all, even one thing, Roady would be a dead stray that never had a fighting chance. I could have stayed home and let Joe walk the dogs, I could have said no I don’t want to go to

the other neighborhood, I could have just went home and tried to forget I saw him, and I could have allowed the other vet to go ahead and perform the euthanasia that day while I was in their office. Clearly there was another plan for this dog.

The next step for the Road Dog is cataract removal surgery, which is a whole other hurdle to overcome because that cost is in the $4000-$5000 range, and definitely outside of my budget. We’re doing everything we can to try and raise the funds to afford that surgery and it’s a long road, but we won’t lose faith. I talk about faith and ironically I was speaking with my step mom, Roady’s soon to be owner, and she was telling me a story. She was on the phone with her mother telling her that I was taking Roady to a specialist to see if he was a candidate for cataract surgery. Her mom said, “Candy, I have been praying, and I just believe that God is going to heal him and Kevin’s going to go in there and that doctors going to say he doesn’t even need surgery.” Candy’s response was one typical that most of us would have, “you’re crazy and cataracts don’t just go away.”

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Livin’ the dream!

Candy is also a very deeply religious person, full of faith, and prayer, but practical.

Cataracts don’t just go away. Now, he still has his cataracts, but I’ll be damned if the doctor didn’t look at me and say, “they’ve definitely gotten better. I can see where the cataracts have cleared up some so he has more vision than he did when you first found him.” He most definitely will need surgery, his vision is almost completely blocked by the cataracts, but we believe he has SOME peripherals, and cracks in the cataracts where he can see light and shapes, but VERY small. Have faith.

cooked delicious food twice a day. His puppy treats are cucumber slices, green beans and cauliflower florets.

So today is April 29, 2018. It has been 5 months and one week since God brought a starving, sick, abandoned pup and our family together. What are the odds this relationship started on Thanksgiving Day?

He has had 5 months of Heartguard and flea and tick prevention so far and gets his bath and teeth brushed every few weeks.

He has his favorite little toy and takes it everywhere we go. He loves to sing along with emergency vehicle sirens, and HE LOVES a belly rub! Roady has the most docile and sweet temperament and is very smart. He knows the word “step” so when we are out walking in the evening and come to a curb and say “step”, he feels for it. He’s well trained and knows shake, sit, stay, come and walk. He also knows when it’s bed time. We just tell him, “Roady, time for bed,” and he promptly goes to the bedroom and hops up on the bed trying his best to sleep right between us. We snuggle with him every chance we get.

Roady is a healthy 64 pounds, has a beautiful coat of fur and has traveled a good bit. He’s been all over downtown Savannah and Tybee Island and recently Edisto Beach South Carolina where he played on the beach. He has a ramp at home so he can run up and down the stairs without the danger of missing a step and getting hurt. He gets his insulin twice a day and is currently on 2.5 cups of home

Now Roady’s blood sugar is fairly well regulated, so the vet recommends the heart worm procedure first and once he heals up from that–we can pursue the cataract surgery. The heartworm procedure will consist of 30 days of doxycycline then the actual procedure then 30 more days of doxycycline. This will be a tough period for him. The doxy could make him nauseous and being diabetic that is dangerous so

we will need to stay home with him and watch him closely to make sure he’s ok.

The heartworm procedure is painful for animals which break our hearts but the idea of those worms damaging his heart any further is far worse so we’ll all be strong and get through it together. We understand that some dogs do not even survive the procedure, but we are full of faith that Roady will be ok. It’s impossible for us to believe that GOD saved this little lovable guy and brought him through all the odds this far and not see him through the up and coming stuff. We know he has a special purpose and we are going to do whatever it takes to make him better.

The standard cost for Roady’s care is roughly $200.00-$250.00 a month. That is food, medicine, vet checkups, etc. The heart worm procedure, doxy and vet visits for that 2-month process will be another $1300.00 to $1400.00 or so. After he heals up and his little heart is stronger and can withstand general sedation, we will focus on his cataract surgery to restore sight.

That is the big one! Roughly $5000.00 with $820.00 prep fee. Is it worth it? EVERY PENNY! The very thought of him being able to see makes us so emotional. We are saving every penny and have set up a GoFundMe campaign in hopes that we might receive some help. We have reached out to family, friends, church, & radio stations, requesting prayer for Roady.

Though people think we as a family have done so much for Roady the truth is he has done so much for us. GOD knew we needed each other and brought us together. Every day we hug and play with our little furry reminder that miracles do happen and God’s plans are better for us than our plans for us.

If you would like to help towards Roady’s recovery you can donate at https://uk.gofundme.com/help-roady-see/donate Kevin and Candy would like to acknowledge Dr. Nicole Andrews-Kees for helping them save Roadie’s life.

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THE TEMPS ARE RISING and the show rings are on fire.

From maintaining your competition horse to breeding your next champion and everything in between, our team is dedicated to you and your horse. Come to our new clinic or we will come to you. Get your horse at the top of his game and call for an appointment today.

Dr. Jason McLendon, DVM Dr. Matthew Reynolds, DVM Dr. Libby Reidy, DVM

770.252.6860

815 Herring Rd., Newnan, GA 30265

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southerncrescentequine.com

outheast Schooling Show Championships September 29th and 30th 2018 at

21 ST EDITION - 2017

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LYME DISEASE SPORT

Opening Date August 7th 2018

Participating States: Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Mississippi, Louisiana.

Introducing Collegiate Challenge Awards Look for details the end of February!!!

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GETTING YOUR HORSE THROUGH A TOUGH

Amelia G. White, DVM, MS, DACVD Assistant Clinical Professor of Dermatology Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine

IN CASE YOU HAVE NOT been keeping up with The Weather Channel recently, let me bring you up to speed. This year we have experienced remarkably high pollen counts due to shifts in the expected seasonal weather patterns. Not only did allergy season get a head start in the southeastern USA, pollen counts have been some of the highest on record. In addition, the allergy season has been longer than typical due to wetter conditions in most states. If you travel often with your horse, this could mean that it can take a longer period of time until there is any allergy reprieve.

There are actually many different types of hypersensitivity disorders, or allergies, in horses. This can range from non-seasonal allergies like adverse food reactions (food allergies) to seasonal allergies against biting insects (insect bite hypersensitivity) and environmental allergens (atopy). There are many environmental allergens to which a horse may become sensitized including insects, dust and storage mites, plant pollens, dust, and molds. Whatever the cause of the allergy, the clinical signs (symptoms) may be very similar. Body systems most commonly affected include respiratory, skin, and less commonly, gastrointestinal. Clinical signs may include runny eyes and noses, sneezing, difficulty breathing (recurrent airway obstruction, pasture-associated heaves, and chronic obstructive

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pulmonary disease), exercise intolerance, itchy skin, frequent skin/ear infections, hair loss, hives and head tossing.

Making the diagnosis of allergy can be challenging and relies heavily upon an indepth and accurate history combined with thorough physical exam. Seasonal patterns or occurrences of clinical signs are most consistent with insect bite hypersensitivity or atopy. Other diagnostics may be required including cytology to evaluate for secondary bacterial and fungal infections, skin scrapings to evaluate for parasitic infections, bacterial or fungal cultures, biopsy of the skin, and a respiratory disease workup.

Treatment is aimed at quelling the symptoms or itchiness, eliminating exposure, and desensitizing the horse to

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1. Eosinophilic nodules present on the withers secondary to insect bite hypersensitivity.

2. Ulcerated nodules present on the shoulder causing itchiness and secondary bacterial infection in a horse with atopy.

3. Individual allergens are injected into the dermal layer of skin during an intradermal allergy test. 4. Ulcerated nodules and crusts present on the pectoral region in a horse with atopy. 5. The wheals are palpated for firmness, redness, and size when interpreting the skin test results.

the allergens. Treating the symptoms by use of barrier restoring topical agents and systemically administered antiinflammatory drugs such as antihistamines or steroids are a temporary solution during times of allergy flare. These approaches are important, but do not provide lasting relief. Usually, these therapies are used in conjunction with other treatment approaches.

Eliminating total exposure is virtually impossible for most seasonal allergens, but this is the mainstay of treatment for insect bite hypersensitivity. Avoiding insect bites will eliminate exposure to the allergens present in insect saliva that cause the intense allergic reaction.

The most common insects that cause these reactions include Culicoides

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(no-see-ums or biting midges), black flies, horn flies and stable flies. There are thousands of other biting insects that could also cause reactions. Practicing good observational techniques will help to identify which insects may be bothering your horse including insect identification and body areas most severely affected.

For example, Culicoides prefer to feed on the mane and tail while other insects may feed primarily on the belly region or legs. By working closely with your veterinarian, a routine fly spray program can be established. Use of high speed fans and changes in stabling patterns may also reduce exposure. Removal of standing water, manure or vegetative debris in which the flies reproduce will help to eliminate the burden for your horse.

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The mainstay of treatment for atopy is allergen-specific immunotherapy (ASIT).

This treatment is specific and unique to your horse’s individual needs. This therapy is effective for treating allergies to pollens, molds, and dust but has limited effect against allergies to biting insects.

An intradermal (skin) allergy test can be performed by a veterinary dermatologist to identify which allergens your horse is allergic to. If you do not have access to a veterinary dermatologist, your veterinarian may be able to perform a blood allergy test. The reliability of this test is controversial in horses and may not lead to favorable treatment outcomes.

When the intradermal test is performed, very small quantities of 50-80 allergens common to your geographic region are injected into the skin of the horse, usually on a shaved area of the neck under the

allergens and clinical signs of allergy improve and/or resolve. This is one of the safest long-term therapy options, and is targeted to the specific needs of your horse. It has the added benefit of low-cost as compared to other therapies because it is dosed independent of your horse’s body weight. This therapy can significantly reduce the need for the symptomatic therapies mentioned earlier, and improve the performance and quality of life of your horse.

If you feel like your horse may be experiencing clinical signs consistent with seasonal allergies, speak with your veterinarian about the available diagnostic and treatment options. Early and appropriate treatment can significantly impact the long-term success of your horse.

Intradermal allergy test showing many strong positive reactions to injected allergens on the side of the neck under the mane.

The most common insects that cause allergic reactions include Culicoides (no-see-ums or biting midges), black flies, horn flies and stable flies. mane. A positive reaction occurs when inflammatory cells, called mast cells, respond to the injected allergen and case leakage of fluid out of blood vessels at the injection site. This creates a focal area of swelling, or a wheal, which is measured for intensity of reaction. Allergens evoking a positive wheal and flare reaction are added into a solution that is administered to your horse in the form of weekly or biweekly subcutaneous (under the skin) injections. Most owners are able to learn this skill so that weekly veterinary visits are not required for allergen therapy administration. Usually over the course of months to one year, this therapy desensitizes the immune system to the

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Amber Spiler

Silly Gil

Hi, it's me Gil, the cutest pony in the world. My sister, Cricket hates it when I say that b ecause she thinks she's cuter than me but she's not. My girl tells me all the time that I am the cutest pony around. Today is a wonderfully warm and breezy spring day. My grass is green and juicy and I am enjoying the thought of spending the day munching on the tender blades.

“Yap! Yap!” It’s that annoying Jack Russell Mutt Terrier. Puck. I can hear the jingling of his silver tags on his collar as he runs down the road to my field. I cock an ear to try to hear what he is yapping about.

“They are going to drive nails into your hooves today!” What? Puck fainted. He just plopped right into the green grass.

I nuzzled him with my nose trying to wake him up. He rolled over looking a bit ill.

“Run Gil! Run!” What? Run? He knows I don’t like to run.

“Gil, they have lost their minds. They were talking to the big man and he was building a very hot fire. They said they are going to heat up metal and melt it to your hooves and then drive nails into them.”

“The big man with the truck is coming today!” So? He’s come before and it’s no big deal.

“Gil!” Puck has reached my gate and is hopping up and down like a bunny rabbit. “I heard your girl’s mom say it! It’s just horrible and they must not love you anymore.”

Ridiculous.

He wobbled a bit but I snorted on him making him shake it off. Why in the world would my girl want to torture me? What have I ever done wrong? Was it the time I stopped cantering to graze and she fell over my head? Could it be because I step on her foot occasionally when I’m bored and want to hear her squeal?

“Quick, run! Here she comes!” I whip around and start walking quickly in the opposite direction. Then I hear it, the shake of the feed bucket. This isn’t even fair. My girl knows that I can’t resist the feed bucket. I walk slower and slower until I find myself standing, head hanging low in shame.

“What’s wrong, Gil?” My girl lets me eat the sweet grain while she slips my halter over my ears.

“Why do you seem a little down?” Wonder how she’d feel if the big man set fire to her boots and then nailed them on?

“Come on boy. Let’s go see the farrier.”

Even sounds dangerous.

As we walked close to his big white truck AHC

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I could hear the hissing of the fire and smell the smoke. The banging of the iron about did me in and I caught a glimpse out of the corner of my eye of Puck fainting again. Mr. Farrier reached down to take my foot but I stood as hard as I could making my feet very heavy. It was no use, I was no match for the giant man. He pried my foot up and trimmed and filed it as usual. This isn’t really so bad, maybe that silly pup heard it wrong.

Then it happened, he took a hot metal half circle thing out of the fire, and carried it to me. Heck no! I scrambled up on my girl trying to get her to hold me.

This made her yelp sounding much like Puck when I grab his tail.

“Ouch, Gil! That hurt! Stand still.” Mr. Farrier reached for my foot again and this time when he picked it up I sat down! I sat down like a Jack Russel Mutt Terrier!

Right on my rump. My girl’s mouth

dropped open and then she burst into laughter.

“Silly pony, we are not going to hurt you. We are just giving you some shiny new shoes that will help you keep from slipping when the grass is wet.” What? Shoes?

Ponies don’t wear shoes.

“You will like them once you get used to them and they will make you look so fancy.” But the nails.

“And the nails won’t even hurt. I promise.

Don’t you trust me?” She held out her hand and presented a bright red apple. Of course I trust her.

So my girls held me as I munched on an

apple and Mr. Farrier put fire and nails on my hooves. It didn’t hurt at all.

After I felt like a million bucks. I went back to the pasture and showed all the other ponies how fancy my feet looked now.

Puck finally came to and acted like he wasn’t impressed at all but I know he was jealous. Later that evening my girl came to give me my dinner and as I ate she told me how much she loved me and that I was the cutest pony in the world. I looked over my shoulder at Cricket to see if she heard but she ignored me.

I could hear Puck yapping in the distance and as my girl gave me my last ear rub I knew that I would always trust her. Tomorrow I will make it up to her.

Tomorrow I will not get in trouble.

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Laura Lamb photos courtesy of Longueville House

IRELAND’S COUNTY CORK’S

LONGUEVILLE HOUSE Leading Ireland’s Revolutionary Food Movement IRELAND MAY be a small island, but when it comes to food, it’s got big culinary ambitions. Once the brunt of food jokes, Ireland’s revolutionized food scene is taking the global stage by storm.

Irish cuisine has always been rustic and filling – the kind of food that gets you through a cold winter.

Bangers & Mash, Colcannon, Beef and Guinness Pie – they are all great dishes, but look a little deeper, and you’ll find creative, modern Irish cuisine fuelled by artisan producers, innovative chefs, and world-class ingredients readily available all over Ireland.

From sea to shore, there’s never been a better range of products to experience in Ireland: fresh oysters, mussels and hand-dived scallops sourced from salty Atlantic waters; estate-raised venison; grassfed beef; award-winning black pudding; the prized Comber potato; and even award-winning apple brandy distilled at family-owned estates. All of these ingredients are being used to their best advantage by dynamic chefs all over the island.

Introducing Longueville House, County Cork

At the crossroads of Munster in the heart of North County Cork, just outside the town of Mallow, you’ll find the stately Georgian country house: Longueville House. Lying on the banks of the river Blackwater, Longueville House is a listed country house steeped in history & character. Owned and operated by thirdgeneration hoteliers, William & Aisling O’Callaghan, Longueville House is always one of the most AHC

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A

warm welcome with rooms filled with log fires and the family ’ s antique collections await guests arrival

anticipated stops on Ireland Equestrian Tours “Equines & Epicureans” southern riding vacation.

This luxurious, but certainly not pretentious hotel has won a host of culinary awards, most recently the 2018 “Irish Breakfast Award” by Ireland’s leading food & hospitality writer Georgina Campbell & Tourism Trade Fáilte Ireland.

Guests of Ireland Equestrian Tours experience a guided food tour of Cork city, Ireland’s food capital, before heading to the idyllic Irish countryside for a 2-day culinary adventure at this 500-acre estate.

Welcoming rooms filled with log fires and the family’s antique collections await guests. Before dinner, don Wellingtons and 32

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head out for an “InCider Story & Spirit of Longueville” tour of Longueville’s 25acre orchard & distillery used to produce on-site artisan apple cider, some of which is aged in French oak red wine casks to create Ireland’s only apple brandy.

At the heart of Longueville House is ‘The Presidents’ Restaurant,’ named after the family’s collection of specially commissioned portraits of Ireland’s past Presidents, which offers a menu of the freshest produce and imaginative dishes from the estate gardens & farm. Sunday lunch is a unique culinary treat with lamb, pork or venison slow-roasted over an open log fire right in the drawing room!

Over the very watchful eye of Mr. O’Callaghan, the estate prides itself that

almost all of the food is sourced within Longueville’s grounds: from the free range woodland pork and pheasant or duck to the salmon and trout (when in season) fished from the estate’s stretch of the Blackwater River. Vegetables, oriental greens and summer fruit come from the 3-acre kitchen garden, carefully managed by gardeners and an army of ducks to keep the slugs at bay! Farm-to- table has long been a way of Longueville life well before the movement became so trendy.

An award-winning full Irish breakfast awaits guests each morning in the hotel’s Victorian conservatory. With magnificent views of the parklands, guests enjoy free-range eggs (either poached, fried or scrambled), Woodland Pork Sausage

(handmade on the premises, of course), Black & White Pudding, Potato Cake, Grille Mushrooms and Roasted Tomatoes.

Assorted homemade crepes such a Bacon & Maple Syrup or Garden Berry Compote are available. A vast breakfast buffet overflowing with fresh baked breads, jams and preserves, assorted cheeses, in-season fruits, homemade granola and pitchers of cloudy apple juice straight from the orchards round out the morning’s feast.

Simply put, breakfast at Longueville House is the perfect start to a day of horseback riding or horse racing in nearby Cork.

If it’s fresh innovative cuisine you’re after, with great horseback riding adventures thrown in, you’ve come to the right place.

Ireland has everything the equestrian foodie is dreaming of!

Ireland Equestrian Tours, LLC. is an Atlantabased boutique agency specializing in private guided tours and equestrian vacations in Ireland.

For a copy of the ‘Equines & Epicureans” southern or northern vacation itinerary, please visit www.irelandequestriantours.com or contact Laura Lamb at laura@irelandequestriantours. com.

An award-winning full Irish breakfast buffet awaits guests each morning with farm-to-table freshness and incredible variety

What's your next Ireland adventure?

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WWW.IRELANDEQUESTRIANTOURS.COM

Maureen Forman

It’s not a Matter of

IF...

It is a question of WHEN WHEN YOU HEAR the name Hankin in the equestrian world, your mind can go in several directions; Connor Hankin, the Ivy League educated, highly acclaimed steeplechase jockey who made headlines when he walked away from racing to join the Marine Corps. Or Connor’s father, Michael Hankin, arguably one of the top players in both the steeplechase and fox hunting world. Or Lisa Hankin, Connor’s aunt, who partnered her fabulous Puissance R with Jenny Karazissis and proved to the hunter world never knock a chestnut mare. Not many horse people know about the dark horse Hankin.

Who is the mysterious Steve Hankin?

horse business. He has absorbed every drop of knowledge that he could from some of the most prominent figures in the industry, and has a plan to revitalize showing and make it more affordable.

Steve Hankin is going to prove that you can go fast alone, but you can go far when you work together. He sheepishly reminds us of the old cliché about the journey, but brightens with the emphasis on taking the risk; doing things out of the box, not doing what you are conditioned to do. He reminds us that comfort is the enemy of progress.

His key to success is to do your research and have a plan. If you don’t know the answers, know who will.

Horses remind Steve that There is something brewing in the showring pipeline, Steve, an animal lover himself, you can’t do it by yourself. spearheaded by Steve Hankin. His plan to revitalize showing never had the passion for Horses taught him humility. and the costs associated with it will be revolutionary. horses that ran in the family.

Taught him about inventing He had become accustomed and reinventing. Taught him to the moniker ‘Horse Show Husband’, mediocrity doesn’t really cut it. There the realm of the things that you don’t cheerfully supporting his wife in the is something revolutionary coming know that you don’t know. Taught him to hunter ring on the east coast, applauding along the pipeline, spearheaded by Steve explore. Taught him that you don’t have his nephew and brother as they Hankin, and when the timing is right, to win, you just have to experience it. dominated steeplechase racing. Although Atlanta Horse Connections will be breaking he loves horses, he just didn’t have any the story.

In closing he reminds us that just like a interest to ride until a gentle nudge from novice rider jumping their first course, Lisa. At age 57, everything changed and What can we tell you now: Steve walked “Don’t think about seeing the distance. It’s he was hooked. Steve Hankin could away from a successful career to devote all about the pace and the stride to get to be easily be likened to a 1951 Penfolds himself to learning the pitfalls of the the distance.”

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Grange Hermitage… in a glass, it’s just a glass of red wine. In reality, it’s taking years to carefully develop, and when finally uncorked, and allowed to breathe and develop, you’ll find something genius.

By all intents and purposes, whether in business or in leisure, it appears that when a Hankin is interested in something,

POLO WINE &

T H E G R AC I DA L E GACY their family’s influence and relationships that have been established in polo to branch out and help make this a popular wine worldwide.

Polo is an incredibly exclusive sport that they appreciate they are blessed to be able to play, so Carlitos and Nano wanted to create a product that could honor their father while also allowing everyone to feel included in the lifestyle of polo.

Third generation polo players and brothers

Carlitos and Mariano are the face of

Gracida

Legacy brand and are branching out to help this exclusive wine become a staple worldwide.

Jenny Kepano

A THIRD GENERATION of polo player, the late Carlos Gracida Sr. launched The Gracida Polo brand in 2011. The legendary player and reportedly Queen Elizabeth’s favorite player, was ranked 10 goals internationally for 15 consecutive years. After his tragic accident in 2014, the responsibility fell on Carlitos and Mariano who along with their friend turned business partner, Nick Valenta, changed the name to Gracida Legacy and continued to carry the torch.

The wines were brought to the United States in November 2017, available in several restaurants and stores in Palm Beach, Dallas and Tennessee. Having only been available for a few months the wines have been well received by the public. They brought in three wines to this country to have diversity and be able to cater to all pallets. The wine is connected to their father’s legacy because it helps keep his spirit alive and puts a product behind all of his hard work and the history he made in polo.

Being able to see

The grapes are harvested in La Mancha, Spain, which is the largest wine region in the world. The two brothers are the face of the brand and use AHC

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Gracida Legacy has carefully developed their wines and have kept family spirit alive by choosing to use another family business – fourth generation vineyard Lozano Wine Estates in La Mancha, Spain. the Gracida wine on shelves, that was merely an idea a few years ago, is a rewarding and humbling feeling for the brothers.

Their family traces back to Spain. Their great-grandfather was a ‘charro’, the equivalent of a cowboy from Spain and Mexico. He was a famous horse trainer and started what is now four generations of horsemen. Lozano Wine Estates is a fourth generation vineyard in La Mancha, so it definitely seemed appropriate to go with them for producing their wines.

Carlos Gracida Sr. taught his sons many lessons but the most important was that they always had to be gentlemen and work

hard. People portray athletes in a specific way and image is important, so they always treat people with respect and love.

The goal of the company is to make the wine a household brand. They would like everyone to drink their wines and feel instantly integrated into polo and the life of a horseman.

Currently Carlos and Mariano, who reside in Wellington, are playing together on the San Antonio Gracida Wine polo team, which is sponsored by Stuart Armstrong.

Carlos Gracida Jr. plays for Audi and Flex Jets in the summer in Aspen and Mariano plays for Valiente Farms.

Boarding • Training • Lessons Dressage • Jumping • Cross Country 17 Stall Barn, Hot and Cold Wash Rack 12’ x 12’ and 12’ x 16’ Stalls Tack room with individual tack trunks Individual turnout available Full size dressage arena with lights Insured • Owner on premises

Working student position available for weekends Some experience preferred, and dependable 324 East Davis Bridge Road, Villa Rica, GA 30180 770.313.6283 • 770.328.3801 • 770.316.8655

y n a p m o C t o o B o r i N e D Suited for boots.. and belts...

AND MORE! JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT STYLE options for equestrians could not get any more “Extra,” DeNiro Boot Company takes it to the next level with custom belts and spur straps to match your custom boots. You may ask yourself, just how many options are we talking...20?...30...? Try hundreds!

As true innovators in the Industry, DeNiro is constantly striving to raise the bar on stunning, high-quality footwear.

Their range begins with boots, both English and Western (Cowboy boots of varying heights and ropers), custom and stock sizes. They produce paddock boots (short boots), custom sneakers and half chaps (gaiters). Recently, DeNiro introduced custom belts and spur straps. You heard that correctly. Now you can order your belt and spur straps in a floral leather, for example, to match the top of your boots, or snakeskin microcrystal, ostrich, etc.

Style My Ride’s Vincerò boots with interchangeable tops, made by the master craftsmen at DeNiro Boot Company, allow customers to opt for traditional tops with their black show boots, or create additional tops, spur straps and belts to match each top they create, whether it be alligator, floral, microcrystal, tooled, ostrich or a pop of colored leather like turquoise, or gray patent leather.

DeNiro’s new Camouflage collection is generating a lot of excitement with our customers. Recent top creations have included a traditional khaki camo top, accented with brass studs and canary crystals. The camouflage colors come in a beautiful bright blue, a darker navy blue suede camouflage, black and black suede camouflage, green and khaki.

Snakeskin, Male collection, is extensive as well. With many riders choosing to create boots in non-traditional colors like

Noelle King, Style My Ride

gray, navy or brown, DeNiro’s broad selection of stunning natural snakeskin colors provides absolutely stunning options.

Microcrystals are available in white, ivory, navy, burgundy, gray, black, navy and chocolate brown.

With Vincero Interchangeable tops, a rider can go from a monochrome look with a matching top in the same leather as the rest of the boot or ramp up the look for another ring by creating a top with one of hundreds of special leathers, including exotics like snakeskin, alligator, ostrich or stingray.

Customers can choose the convenience of an array of stock options, or create their paddock boots and chaps, tall boots, belts, spur straps, cowboy boots and ropers of their dreams.

To schedule an appointment for a representative to come to your barn for a group trunk show for DeNiro or Vincerò boots with interchangeable tops, or to order stock boots in your size, e-mail us at Stylemyride12@gmail.com or call us at 404-520-0499. You can also check out our boots and fashion shoots on Stylemyride.net.

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