Massachusetts Horse December/January 2018

M A S S AC H U S E T T S

HORSE

December/January 2018 mahorse.com $4

BEYOND INSULIN RESISTANCE IS YOUR HORSE AT RISK?

LINDA CIMETTI, DVM HORSEPERSON

ROBINSON STATE PARK TRAIL GUIDE

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contents

December/January 2018

columns 20 Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due Horse Logic

22 Robinson State Park 18

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Trail Guide

40 Massachusetts Horse Benefit Adventure Trail Lend a Hoof

42 Logan Decourcey Youth Profile

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features 8

Beyond Insulin Resistance Is Your Horse At Risk?

in every issue 18

Robby Hill Stables

5 From the Publisher

Making a Farm a Home

7 Your Letters

Farm Feature

Lead Feature

26 Overherd 36 Partners 44 Events Calendar

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Linda Cimetti, DVM Soundness from West to East Horseperson Feature

24 Clip Clop

47 This Olde Horse

The Sound of a Cop

48 The Neighborhood

Lend a Hoof

50 Junior Horsemanship Award 50 Is This Your Horse?

Massachusetts Horse

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CARVER 508.866.9150 Richard.Blair@farm-family.com

NORWOOD 781.255.2002 Francis_Bingham@farm-family.com

EASTHAMPTON 413.203.5180 Josh.Nadeau@farm-family.com

SOUTHWICK 413.569.2307 themasonagency@farm-family.com

GREAT BARRINGTON 413.528.1710 Bob.Sinopoli@farm-family.com Dominic.Sinopoli@farm-family.com

TOPSFIELD 978.887.8304 Dale_Johnson@farm-family.com

MARLBOROUGH 508.485.3800 Martin_West@farm-family.com

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December/January 2018

WESTFORD 978.467.1001 Donald.Ludwig@farm-family.com

MIDDLEBOROUGH 508.747.8181 Andrew_Brodeur@farm-family.com Kevin.Sullivan@farm-family.com

WILLIAMSTOWN 413.458.5584 MaureenOMara@farm-family.com 413.458.6037 Kim.Perry@farm-family.com

NORTHBOROUGH 508.393.9327 Jeff.Pichierri@farm-family.com

WORCESTER 508.752.3300 Thomas_Carroll@farm-family.com

From the Publisher

T

he first snow will soon be upon us. The stillness as it falls and blankets our world, the uniqueness of the flakes, the serenity it imparts — all serve to remind us

that winter is a magical time. My favorite sounds of the season are the early-morning songs of the chickadees as they flit among the hemlock branches and the crunchy squeak of snow on a very cold evening. I love the frost on my horses’ eyelashes on a cold early morning, the way the snow shines like glitter in the moonlight, and watching my horses move silently through the new snow in their pasture.

Peanut bringing in the mail while learning to ground drive. #ponyexpress Haflinger mares Caszual and Cat in the background at Pocketful of Ponies Farm.

Since July I’ve been enjoying working with Peanut, one of my Miniature horses. He’s the smartest horse I’ve ever known!

Peanut’s been ground driving, long lining, going on field trips in my van, being a seeing-eye horse for his blind buddy Little Rasta Man, and learning tasks that will help him be a great therapy horse for nursing home and school visits and maybe even a library reading buddy for children. Want to follow along his journey? Like his page on Facebook at: facebook.com/Adventures ofPeanutatPocketfulofPoniesFarm.

I hope you’ll put up your feet with a cup of something hot and delicious and enjoy this issue. We certainly have enjoyed putting it together with you in mind.

May your winter be a magical one.

Massachusetts Horse

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HORSE vol. 16, no. 4 December/January 2018

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the fine print The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Massachusetts Horse staff or independent contractors, nor can they be held accountable. Massachusetts Horse will not be held responsible for any misrepresentations or any copyright infringement on the part of advertisers. Massachusetts Horse will not be held responsible for typing errors other than a correction in the following issue. All letters addressed to Massachusetts Horse, its publisher, editor, and staff are assumed for publication. Photos, stories (verbal or printed), notifications, news items, and all other material that is submitted, including all materials and photos not specifically solicited by Massachusetts Horse, are assumed to be legally released by the submitter for publication. Massachusetts Horse assumes no responsibility for damage to or loss of material submitted for publication. Reasonable care will be taken to ensure the safety and return of all materials.

Your Letters To the editor: I just received the magazines and read the article [Jenn Safron: Equestrian Entrepreneur Cleans Up, August/ September 2017]. You nailed it! Well written! Perfect! Bravo!

Any chance you could send me 15 copies? I’d like to send a copy to family and friends across the country. Thanks for a wonderful article!

Betsy Merritt Barefoot Performance Natural Hoofcare Orthopedic Trimming and Holistic Lameness Rehabilitation

Jenn Safron, Jenn’s Tack and Blanket Repair, Gardner

To the editor: My daughter was so excited to see her picture in the magazine [Is This Your Horse, August/September 2017].

Kim Devers, Norwell

To the editor: We really appreciate all of the hard work and time that you put into this event [Massachusetts Horse Benefit Adventure Trail]. Thank you again for all you have done — and do — for us!

Julia Pesek, Community Outreach Coordinator, MSPCA at Nevins Farm, Methuen

To the editor: My vice-regional supervisor read the Pony Club article [Pony Clubs: Setting the Standards for Equestrians, August/ September 2017] last night and was raving about how it was so well written and explained Pony club very well! Is there an electronic version that I can get a link to?

Let us know your thoughts!

Sue Shiels, Southeastern New England Region Pony Clubs Regional Supervisor

We’ll enter you to win a $75 Cheshire Horse gift card!

All letters received by September 5 will be entered in the drawing. Send your letters to: steph@mahorse.com or Massachusetts Horse, 99 Bissell Rd., Williamsburg, MA 01096.

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Beyond Insulin Resistance Is Your Horse At Risk?

Research findings about the relationship between insulin and laminitis may have implications for the diagnosis and management of at-risk horses.

by Heather Smith Thomas and Christine Barakat

I

nsulin resistance has long been linked to laminitis, a potentially devastating inflammatory condition of the hoof. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, enables the body’s cells to utilize sugar (glucose), their primary source of fuel. When resistance develops, however, cells stop responding to insulin and the resulting rise in the hormone’s levels in the blood can lead to laminitis.

Now, research shows that even when the horse’s body reacts normally to insulin, the hormone can nonetheless become part of a cascade of events that leads to laminitis. These findings may not only prompt a change in the terms used to discuss the relationship between insulin and laminitis but will also have implications for the diagnosis and management of at-risk horses.

precursors. As meals are digested, the stomach and small intestine absorb glucose and then release it into the bloodstream. From there, it’s used immediately by cells or stored for later use. Insulin is critical to both of those processes.

“What we really want to do, with a diagnostic test, is discover the mildly affected horse early on, so we have a chance to change the management of that horse — and prevent laminitis and all the downstream effects of this syndrome.”

Nicholas Frank, DVM, PhD

Meals and Metabolism Nearly everything your horse eats contains starches and sugars that are converted to glucose during digestion, which in turn is used as energy for cells throughout the body. Grains have more, hay generally has less, but every time your horse eats, he’s taking in glucose 8

December/January 2018

Beta cells in the pancreas monitor the level of glucose in the blood, and when they detect an increase, they produce insulin, which travels to cells all over the body. The more glucose there is in the blood, the more insulin is produced for utilization.

“Insulin binds to receptors on cells to ‘open the door,’ as it were, and allow glucose to leave the bloodstream and go into those tissues,” says Shannon PrattPhillips, PhD, of North Carolina State University. Insulin also helps transform excess glucose into larger molecules called glycogen, which are then stored in the liver or muscle.

A major function of insulin is to “regulate” blood glucose concentration — to keep glucose levels from remaining elevated — so when the hormone is working efficiently, blood glucose is described as “regulated.”

After a horse eats a meal, insulin is released in response to the glucose produced during digestion, blood glucose concentration drops steadily and insulin production decreases accordingly.

Sometimes, however, this process goes awry. Probably the most common problem is a condition called insulin resistance, which occurs when the hormone is unable to “unlock” the door to cells.

“Somewhere along that route, insulin is not functioning properly,” says Shannon, “and glucose, unable to enter

cells, remains in the blood. If the blood glucose concentrations stay high, more insulin will be released from the pancreas to try to deal with that glucose.

This cycle continues and results in more and more insulin being released.”

In people, insulin resistance can progress to type 2 diabetes. Horses with insulin resistance tend to develop a range of problems, collectively referred to as equine metabolic syndrome (EMS). The most devastating aspect of EMS is a susceptibility to laminitis.

More Than Resistance Horses with EMS are at higher risk of laminitis and they often are found to be insulin resistant. So you might assume those conditions are dependent on each other. But it’s not that straightforward.

“When we first described EMS, about 15 years ago, the emphasis was on insulin resistance,” says Philip Johnson, BVSc, MRCVS, of the University of Missouri. “It has now shifted. Work done in Australia in 2007 showed that high blood insulin levels represent, in and of themselves, a risk factor for laminitis. Anytime a horse or pony has a higher-than-normal blood insulin there’s a risk for developing laminitis.

This is like an insulin toxicity.”

The problem may start earlier in the digestive process. “The new way of looking at EMS is that the horses and ponies with it have an intestinal system that absorbs a lot of glucose compared to other horses,” says Philip. “Along with that comes an increased pancreatic insulin secretion response.” In other words, the horse’s body is so efficient in absorbing glucose from meals that the pancreas simply produces too much insulin in response.

Based on this information, many researchers are adopting a new vocabulary for discussing insulin. “Today the term insulin dysregulation is more appropriate for this problem in horses than just calling it insulin resistance,” says Nicholas Frank, DVM, PhD, of Tufts University. The technical term would be postprandial hyperinsulinaemia, which refers to an excessively high level of insulin in the blood after eating.

Certain types of horses, particularly ponies, have a genetic predisposition to postprandial hyperinsulinaemia, which may be linked to other hormonal imbalances or the malfunction of enzymes within the pancreas or small intestine.

Nicholas says that postprandial hyperinsulinaemia may be the earliest stage of insulin resistance in these

genetically predisposed horses. It may even induce resistance directly by desensitizing the receptors on cells or encouraging the development of fat accumulations, which then may further impede insulin function.

“There are some studies looking at the biological activity (and inflammatory mediator production) within these regions of adiposity, and I think they make insulin dysregulation worse as they appear and enlarge,” he says.

The working theory now is that certain horses are born with a genetic predisposition to hyperinsulinaemia, which — if not diagnosed and managed — can lead to insulin resistance and the clinical signs of EMS, including laminitis.

“If we think about a time course with this syndrome, we realize that the animal is born with these genetics, and that’s the hand it’s dealt,” says Nicholas. “As it grows older, how that horse is managed in its feed, environment, and exercise will determine whether those genetics actually lead to a medical problem.”

Is My Horse Susceptible to Insulin Resistance?

Researchers have confirmed that metabolic differences exist between breeds, even when the horse is not overweight. Insulin resistance isn’t just for ponies that are fat.

Easy keepers — those that gain and keep weight easily — will metabolize insulin differently than slim horses because of their increased body fat. However, researchers have determined that metabolic differences from one breed to another are present even in horses that aren’t fat.

Testing, Testing The growing understanding of hyperinsulinaemia and insulin resistance has resulted in an altered approach to testing for EMS, with an increasing emphasis on identifying horses in the earliest stages, before the condition can progress.

Insulin resistance alone can be identified through a simple blood test performed after at least six hours of fasting. “If the insulin concentration is above twenty micro-units per milliliter [after fasting] the horse is said to be insulin resistant,” says Shannon. “I would consider the horse mildly insulin resistant in that lower end, while others may have very high levels. I’ve seen some horses with a resting insulin level as high as ninety to one hundred every single day,” she says. The trouble with this test is the wide variations among individual horses. Shannon often recommends a second test a few days later to double-check borderline cases.

An even more informative test for insulin resistance involves administering glucose intravenously to the horse, followed by soluble insulin, and then periodically taking blood samples to track the rise and then fall of both in the bloodstream. These tests tend to be more expensive, but they provide more information about a horse’s specific and dynamic response to glucose levels in the blood.

In light of research into postprandial hyperinsulinaemia, Nicholas also

There are differences in insulin responses between horse types as well as between horses and ponies. Some breeds such as Andalusians, Morgans, Paso Finos, some Quarter Horses, and ponies are more prone to insulin resistance — even nonobese horses in these breeds.

Ponies and certain breeds and types of horses may tend toward insulin resistance as a genetic adaptation to sparse vegetation. The problem is exacerbated by domestic lifestyles with insufficient turnout and exercise, and by feeding practices that aren’t appropriate for this lifestyle (i.e., too high in concentrates [grain], rich pasture, and too much high-quality hay). Horses didn’t evolve to eat the levels of grain that are commonly fed. They did, however, evolve to be active and moving most of the time. On average, a horse in the wild moves and forages 14 to 18 hours a day.

How much time does your horse spend moving? yStephanie Sanders, Massachusetts Horse

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Why Does My Horse Need Exercise?

How Do I Feed My Insulin-Prone Horse?

There are many benefits of exercise and all will help to lower insulin resistance: • During one hour of exercise, the nervous system will lower insulin output from the pancreas by more than 30 percent.

• Muscles have the largest number of receptors for insulin. Increasing muscle in turn increases receptors (locks) that allow insulin to have more sites to bind to, lowering blood levels of insulin.

• Exercise increases blood flow. Better circulation gets insulin to the target cell faster and in turn, glucose is delivered faster.

• Exercise has the ability to lower blood glucose levels for 6 to 12 hours after exer-

• Base your horse’s diet on forage and eliminate grain and calorie-dense feeds.

Feed as much of your horse’s daily energy requirement (based on its body weight) as possible in a lower-quality, low-energy forage such as late-maturity hay.

• Add a ration balancer to help your horse meet its nutritional requirements.

cise, a hypoglycemic effect. When blood glucose is low, insulin levels go low. The effects of exercise last much longer than the time exercised.

• Food moves through the digestive tract faster when there’s exercise, which means less will be absorbed, very beneficial for horses in need of weight loss.

Walking burns four times the calories of standing and improves circulation to the hooves, helping prevent laminitis. Don’t have time to ride/longe? Turn your horse out in a field with a secure muzzle. Many people keep their overweight horse in a small dirt lot mistakenly thinking that will protect the horse. Unfortunately, in this restricted environment your horse will walk less and lay down more. This won’t help prevent insulin resistance. In a field, your horse will walk 10 percent of the time; if you turn out your horse for four hours, he’ll walk for 24 minutes.

Even better, utilize even the smallest paddocks and create a Paddock Paradise.

(See sidebar page 11.) yStephanie Sanders, Massachusetts Horse

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• As a general guide, feed 1.5 percent of your horse’s weight in forage as outlined above. If your horse is overweight, remember that at least six to eight weeks of dietary restriction is needed for noticeable weight loss to occur.

• Restrict or eliminate pasture grazing using a muzzle. In the spring and early summer, after summer and fall rains, and after drought or frost, pastures’ non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) content is high and it’s best to keep your horse off the pasture during these times. (NSC is a class of carbohydrates that include starch, water-soluble sugar, and fructan.) Normal horses can tolerate NSC levels of 20 percent or higher, but horses prone to insulin resistance should be fed hays with a 10 percent or lower NSC. • Make all diet changes gradually.

• Divide rations into three to four small meals and use a slow hay feeder to extend the “grazing” time for your horse. yStephanie Sanders, Massachusetts Horse

recommends an oral sugar test to identify horses in the earlier stages of insulin dysfunction.

“When we just do an IV test, we will certainly find the horses with insulin resistance, but only those that are moderately to severely affected,” he says. “What we really want to do, with a diagnostic test, is discover the mildly affected horse early on, so we have a chance to change the management of that horse — and prevent laminitis and all the downstream effects of this syndrome.”

Testing for EMS, then, will ideally become a two-step process. “We still recommend testing the animal’s insulin resistance using a blood test after fasting, but we add to that the oral sugar test so we have to look at two sides of this —the oral response to food with the standardized sugar test, and a test for insulin sensitivity,” Philip says.

Nicholas advocates looking for insulin issues even as part of routine physical examinations. “The more we can find these problems during annual or biannual wellness evaluations, and head them off, the less laminitis we will be treating. No veterinarian wants to have to treat laminitis because it is a disastrous disease once it occurs. If we can all focus on prevention rather than treatment of laminitis, this would be a major advance in veterinary care.”

Taking Control Sorting out the complexities of insulin dysregulation could take researchers years, but that doesn’t mean it’s too soon to take management steps to protect your horse. In fact, preventive measures are pretty much the same whether a horse has insulin resistance or postprandial hyperinsulinaemia. They include: • Reduce sugars in the horse’s diet.

“If we have horses who have a higher insulin concentration, we know that keeping them on a low-sugar diet does not stimulate insulin release as much,” says Nicholas. Remember that carbohydrates are converted to sugars in the body, so you’ll want to remove not just molasses-based feeds from an at-risk horse’s ration but probably all grain.

“Most of the horses that are insulin resistant don’t need any grain,” says Philip. “They may just need some vitamins/minerals or a protein supplement.

Unless they’re doing a lot of work or producing milk, horses don’t need extra calories. So if you have a horse who is insulin resistant, consider providing a

balancer supplement to meet his nutritional needs and eliminating grain entirely.”

If a horse does need additional calories in the form of grain, be sure to select an appropriate mixture. “Horse owners can look for grains that have a low glycemic index, so that when the horse eats, his blood glucose doesn’t go up very high,” says Brian Nielsen, PhD, of Michigan State University. “For the insulin-resistant horse, this makes sense.” There are a number of low glycemic commercial feeds on the market today specifically developed to fill this need.

Hay can also be high in sugar, but the only way to know is to have a sample tested. Your local agriculture extension agent, based at a land-grant university, can help you arrange for testing. “If hay has a lot of sugar, you can soak it in water to remove much of the sugar,” says Philip. Depending on the type of hay, he adds, several hours of soaking may be required to satisfactorily reduce the sugar content.

• Feed frequent small meals.

When feeding horses, the closer you can get to mimicking natural grazing behavior, the better. Horses who eat all

day long do not have the dramatic and damaging spikes in blood glucose and insulin that occur when fewer, larger meals are served. Arranging to have grain doled out more than twice a day can be difficult, but it’s fairly easy to provide continuous access to hay using a slow feeder or hay net with smaller holes.

Paddock Paradise A Paddock Paradise is an idea put forth by Jaime Jackson. His ideas are based on the natural patterns of horse behavior.

In Jaime’s book, Paddock Paradise: A

Guide to Natural Horse Boarding, he promotes that the tracks of a Paddock Paradise mimic the paths that wild horses traverse day after day as

Nicholas advocates looking for insulin issues even as part of routine physical examinations.

they move, forage, and rest over the varied terrain of each band’s territory. It’s the motion and diversity of this life that Jaime theorizes helps wild horses to remain fit, sound, and healthy.

Jaime examined a herd of 100 domestic

Shannon conducted a series of studies examining the effect of meal duration on blood-glucose spikes. To extend the length of grain meals, for example, she added balls to the feed tub. “Some people use large, smooth rocks,” she says. “The horse has to work around those while trying to eat grain, which slows the intake.”

Shannon found that when it took horses longer to eat, blood glucose spikes were minimized. “Anything that stretches out/prolongs the feeding, along with providing smaller meals throughout the day, can be helpful to

horses allowed to roam freely over a 30-squaremile ranch. He expected these horses to mirror the health and soundness of wild horses — but, seemingly paradoxically, they didn’t. Because these horses were fed plentifully at the same feeding stations day after day, they had no reason to roam very far.

Horses, fed and bedded in a single space with all their needs immediately met, are the same way. There’s no reason to keep moving around a two-acre pasture if the hay, grass, and water are all plentifully in one place for the taking.

That’s where Jaime’s tracks come in.

Paddock Paradise tracks are narrow and en route to interesting and necessary components of equine survival. Shelter is in one place, water in another, salt licks in another, and so on. To get to each place, horses must move.

Because every group of horses is different and the layout of every situation is different, it follows that every Paddock Paradise will be different, too. Here are some of the basic elements Jaime says a Paddock Paradise should have: at least one acre of land, more than one horse, a track, a watering hole, dispersed forage, freewill shelter from heat and cold, salt and mineral licks, a napping area, and varied terrain.

Among other track ideas are wooded pathways and planting tufts of equine-friendly homeopathic herbs make a welcome, track-side pharmacy. A heavy plastic feeder turned upside down with a bit of ration balancer dropped over the gridded bottom makes a great slow-grain challenge.

Typing “Paddock Paradise” on Google will empty a silo of ideas onto your screen, but to make sure you get the principles correct, read the book first. Go directly to Jaime’s website, paddockparadise.com.

yAndrea Bugbee and Stephanie Sanders, Massachusetts Horse

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How Do I Test My Hay? An excellent article on finding and testing lowsugar forage can be found at thehorse.com/ articles/18837/finding-and-testing-low-sugarforage. Read this article prior to testing hay.

Equi-Analytical Laboratories/Dairy One in Ithaca, New York, offers two tests that help you make informed decisions about forage: • Equi-Tech Test – complete nutritional profile for hay and pasture analysis that includes Ethanol Soluble Carbohydrates (ESC), Water Soluble Carbohydrates (WSC), starch, non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC), and much more. $28.

• Carb Pack Test – provides Ethanol Soluble Carbohydrates (ESC), Water Soluble Carbohydrates (WSC), and starch analyses for owners solely concerned about carbohydrate levels and their effect on horse health. $30.

(800) 496-3344 or equi-analytical.com

yStephanie Sanders, Massachusetts Horse

The Facts on EMS

The Laminitis Link

Previously called peripheral Cushing’s syndrome, hypothyroidism, and even syndrome X, equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is now much better understood thanks to concentrated research efforts.

Rather than describing one specific condition, the term EMS encompasses a collection of signs and clinical changes, including insulin resistance, hyperinsulinaemia, infertility, and obesity. Fat deposits are one of the most distinct physical signs of EMS; horses with the condition tend to accumulate fat along the top of the neck, over the ribs, and the top of the tailhead, giving the horse a very rounded appearance.

EMS is often evident in horses between the ages of 5 and 16, and it’s seen more frequently in ponies and some breeds including Morgans, Paso Finos, Tennessee Walking Horses, and Mustangs. These horses are thought to have a thrifty gene that allows them to survive in harsh environments. However, in a domestic setting where there’s plentiful food, this increased metabolic efficiency leads to insulin dysregulation and obesity.

Horses with EMS are also more likely to develop pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID; also called equine Cushing’s disease). In addition, EMS horses are most certainly at increased risk of developing laminitis.

Exactly how insulin can lead to laminitis is still unknown, but the link between the two is certain. “Regarding how insulin and laminitis are linked, there are several different potential pathologies,” says Shannon Pratt-Phillips, DVM, of North Carolina State University. “Research has shown that if you infuse insulin into a horse at high levels, this can cause laminitis.”

Glucose itself may also contribute to laminitis. “In other species, particularly humans, when the glucose starts to creep upward, something called glucose toxicity occurs. Just having too much glucose in the bloodstream can damage membranes. This is when we see humans with type 2 diabetes who develop gangrene. It can be a result of glucose causing damage to the little blood vessels within the feet.”

Obesity associated with EMS may also play a role. “In an obese horse, fat can actually produce hormones and inflammatory proteins that put the body into an inflammatory state,” says Shannon. “This may directly affect how that cascade happens within the cells after insulin is present. Then the obesity and inflammation can sensitize the vessels of the hoof. If the horse is already in an inflammatory state and those blood vessels are already somewhat damaged by the inflammatory proteins, then when you get a whammy of glucose or insulin or something that is further damaging, this can push the situation over the edge.”

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blunt those glucose concentrations,” she says.

• Restrict grazing.

Lush, fast-growing grass is high in soluble carbohydrates, which can raise blood glucose and insulin levels. “You often hear of horses developing laminitis when turned out on fresh pasture in the spring,” says Philip. “These are usually not the horses that are athletic and lean, but the easy keeper or pony that tends to be insulin-resistant.”

Spring pasture is not the only risk.

Pastures undergoing growth spurts in the fall and grasses rebounding from drought can also be high in sugars. The safest bet for a horse with EMS is no pasture at all, but if that’s not possible, restricting grazing with a well-fitting muzzle is crucial to protecting his health.

Shannon also recommends keeping an eye on the clock. “Sugars rise during the day (with sunlight) so those concentrations tend to be highest in the late afternoon,” she says. “If horses are insulin resistant, you’d let them out on pasture first thing in the morning when those levels are lowest, and just for a couple of hours, using a grazing muzzle.”

Medication Management changes are the best approach to dealing with EMS and insulin issues, but those efforts can be supplemented with a few medical resources as well.

“There are a few pharmaceuticals that veterinarians sometimes recommend for horses with EMS,” says Philip Johnson, BVSc, MRCVS, of the University of Missouri. “But we tend to only use these in the advanced cases where management and dietary changes alone aren’t working or to try to protect the horse while waiting for the effects of management changes to appear.”

One such product is levothyroxine, a thyroid hormone supplement that helps to reduce body fat mass when prescribed at higher doses and when combined with dietary changes.

Horses remain on the supplement three to six months until weight is lost, then are slowly weaned off of it.

Also commonly recommended is the drug metformin, which is often prescribed for people with diabetes and inhibits the release of glucose into the blood. In horses, the drug mainly inhibits the uptake of glucose and thus prevents blood glucose and insulin levels from spiking, Johnson explains, noting that metformin can also help obese horses lose weight. yEQUUS magazine

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• Don’t let the horse become fat.

Obesity is likely a cause as well as an effect of EMS, so it’s doubly important to keep horses at a healthy weight — typically considered a body condition score (BCS) of six or below. But don’t get hung up on the number: A horse with a lower BCS score can still have a cresty neck, an indication of insulin troubles. Researchers are even working on developing a “cresty neck score” that correlates to laminitis risk, but in the meantime you’ll likely know one when you see one.

Dietary changes will help take weight off a horse, but they will be even more effective when paired with increased exercise. If your fat, insulintroubled horse isn’t lame or sore from laminitis, start him on an exercise program that includes active turnout as well as regular riding. In addition to burning excess calories, exercise helps increase a horse’s sensitivity to insulin, which can counter the underlying problem. It may take weeks of daily, long rides to reduce the weight on a horse genetically predisposed to holding onto it, but the effort is well worth it.

This article first appeared in the April 2016 issue of EQUUS magazine. To subscribe to EQUUS, visit equusmagazine.com.

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December/January 2018

Horseperson Feature Plympton

Linda Cimetti, DVM Soundness from West to East

by Andrea Bugbee

W

hen you watch the YouTube video of Equinox Bossanova winning the Morgan Grand National 2017 Youth Western Pleasure World Champion title in Oklahoma City, you might be surprised to know that this stunning, synergetic bay once

ing horses and donkeys (and, therefore, the families that used them) while the nation was suffering a particularly dark period of poverty.

All of these accomplishments certainly make Linda unique, but the thing that differentiates her as a diagnostician

The ‘Oh, Gee’ of Qi

had a soundness problem that threatened his career.

“Seven years ago he came up with an issue in his hind end,” says Boss’s owner and trainer Christine Nava Moulthrop.

Christine owns Timber Hill Stables in Kingston and, at the time, this gorgeous Morgan belonged to one of her clients, Heidi Kunkel. Heidi’s excellent vet examined him, but couldn’t pinpoint a diagnosis. Out of curiosity and concern, Christine asked if her own vet, Dr. Linda Cimetti, could take a look.

Linda and her husband, fellow veterinarian Dr. Mark Reilly, founded South Shore Equine Clinic and Diagnostic Center (SSEC) in Plympton in January of 2006. Like many vets, Linda’s credentials are impressive. A Scituate native, she’s a 2001 graduate of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. She’s taught at Tufts, coaching veterinary students through training labs and large animal gross anatomy classes. She spent four years working for a performance horse practice that focused on lameness, diagnostics, and preventative health.

Linda spent a decade committed to yearly mission trips to the Dominican Republic. There, she donated medical expertise and supplies to benefit work-

is that she has complemented her Western veterinary education by earning supplemental certifications in Eastern veterinary practices — specifically acupuncture and chiropractic.

Because she’s able to look at soundness through this uniquely bifocal lens, it was Linda who ultimately identified Boss’s problem.

“She kept saying, ‘He doesn’t palpate stifles, but the acupuncture points are telling me it’s stifles,” Christine says, describing the first time she had Linda look at the talented stallion, who was then ten. Because Bossanova’s stifles didn’t seem sore during a clinical lameness exam, Heidi tried other treatments. The gelding remained off.

Eventually, Linda looked at him a second time. Again, she gained the same, surprising, impression: Stifles. “We got the horse’s stifles injected, and he was fixed,” Christine says.

Since that unexpected diagnosis, Boss has claimed a cache of state and national titles. This glimmering, now 17-year-old bay prances in the show ring, fluid and high-stepping as he carries his sparkling young rider, Olyvia O’Brien of Plymouth, to win after win.

“It took Linda’s untraditional methods to find the problem,” Christine says. “If

and chiropractic can get that last ten to fifteen percent,” Linda says. “You can put horses on supplements, you can treat them, you can medicate them, you can medicate their joints, but there can still be little aches and restrictions. With regard to lameness in performance horses, acupuncture and chiropractic have been just amazing in our practice in optimizing a horse’s performance.”

People and pet owners familiar with acupuncture understand that it’s based on the Chinese principle that irregularities in the body’s energy flow, called qi (pronounced chee), can affect a patient’s sense of well-being. In horses, there are literally hundreds of points along 12 mirrored and 8 extraordinary meridians that act like the body’s energy highways. The qi at points along these meridians can be deficient, excessive, or stagnant. A certified acupuncturist uses these points to diagnose and treat problems ranging from ulcers to lameness.

“The combination of points is almost like looking at a glass ball,” says Linda. “Sometimes just by treating those points, you can really restore that energy flow and that feeling of wellbeing. It’s an amazing form of medicine that’s underutilized in people and in

16

December/January 2018

it wasn’t for her, I’d still be trying to figure out what was wrong.”

“I’m Western trained first and I still do everything according to medical standards, but I find that the acupuncture

animals. I’m really passionate about it.

Eastern medicine is a huge component of my practice. On a daily basis, I’d say that acupuncture and chiropractic is about fifty percent of what I do.”

Many of Linda’s SSEC clients use acupuncture and chiropractic as part of their horse’s regular wellness program, and she travels to Florida in the winter to treat her equine patients that are showing and training there. “The feedback from the owners is really what I base my treatment success on,” she says.

“I’ve a lot of riders who say their horses feel amazing after a treatment. That’s really rewarding for me.”

A Look Inside Linda has gained similar rewards from another less commonly available resource — the standing MRI (magnetic resonance imaging).

“That’s been absolutely revolutionizing with regard to how we manage lameness,” she says. “You know, there are about twenty structures in the hoof that we can’t visualize entirely with any other diagnostic modality. Now, with an MRI, we can actually see all of those structures and make a very targeted diagnosis and treatment therapy.”

“We were one of the first clinics to offer the standing MRI,” Linda says, describing an imaging machine that horses, under light sedation, step up to much like they would a standing stall.

With a technician at the horse’s head, Linda is able to collect up to 300 images on three planes of the area in question.

Each MRI session takes between one and two hours, and the horse, not compromised by general anesthesia, is fit for a trailer ride home as soon as the sedative wears off.

“It’s very safe and accurate,” says Linda, who considers diagnostic imaging an area of special interest. “The MRI,” she says, “is particularly valuable in discovering the root of lameness not evident with x-ray or ultrasound.”

Since she’s been using it, Linda says SSEC’s standing MRI has unveiled bone edema, soft tissue injuries, and hairline fractures she otherwise could only have guessed at. It’s revealed fetlock lesions when the problem had been assumed to be in the hoof. Also, she says, “We’ve had a number of cases come in that were diagnosed with navicular disease.

People were getting ready to totally retire the horse. In one case, the owner was considering euthanasia.” A clearer image of the hoof, however, proved the problem to be a treatable bone bruise.

With more accurate diagnosis through the standing MRI comes targeted treatment, faster recovery, and, often, money saved for SSEC clients.

The standing MRI has allowed Linda and her colleagues to clearly specify injuries rather than approaching lameness through educated suppositions, process of elimination, and time lost.

Soundness as Daily Care Diagnosing and treating unsoundness is just one of the areas where Linda enjoys both a special interest and unique capabilities. She’s also a proponent of optimal wellness, and gains daily satisfaction from discerning each horse’s distinct requirements, helping clients to provide the best husbandry possible. “I like making sure that every aspect of care in terms of diet and exercise is appropriate for that horse,” says Linda. “Every owner has different demands and expectations, and every horse is different. That’s one of the cool things about my job, being able to tailor for individual needs and circumstances.”

Linda’s recommendations for whole-horse health are fairly simple.

Make sure diets have enough protein and Vitamin E, which, she says, tend to be deficient in the Northeast. Maintain a thoughtful and sensible fitness program. And, look to the highly effective, low-tech tools of heat, ice, and common sense to preserve your horse’s athleticism. “Ice boots are fantastic. Liniment rubs and poultices are great. If it’s hot, cool it out. If it’s cold, warm it up. You have to look at your individual horse and know their weak areas — and I tell people to baby them.”

“She’s very well balanced,” says Linda’s certified veterinary technician, Catherine Arruda of Plymouth. “When she sees horses day in and day out, she’s doing the diagnostics, but she also has the Eastern training,” says Catherine.

“In a tricky patient, she can often come up with a diagnosis that another doctor might not have thought of.”

Linda calls Catherine “my right arm,” and Catherine depends on Linda to keep her own mare active and pain free. “I’m a true believer now,” says Catherine, who had little exposure to chiropractic and acupuncture before being paired with Linda. “The nice thing about horses is they don’t lie. When I get my horse adjusted [for a hip restriction] her hocks don’t hurt any more.”

Traveling with Linda on farm calls year after year, Catherine remains struck by this veterinarian’s willingness

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to think outside the box as she seeks solutions from every angle. “When she’s examining a horse, you can look at her and see the wheels turning in her head,” says Catherine. “You can see how thorough she is. She’s very meticulous.

There’s no giving up. She wants the best for her patients and she wants the best for her clients.”

“She’s wonderful,” says Christine, summing up her years of experience, and ultimately friendship, with Linda.

“She’s very good about listening. She follows up with me after treatment.

She’s always got the best interest of the horses in mind, yet she understands the balance between care and cost.”

“She’s probably one of the most talented vets I’ve ever worked with,” Christine says. “We’re blessed to have her in our area. I feel like we’ve really won the lottery with her.”

Andrea Bugbee is a Pony Club mom, an IEA mom, and a backyard horse enthusiast. She does most of her writing while she waits for her daughter in the parking lots of numerous wonderful stables scattered throughout western Massachusetts and northern Connecticut.

Massachusetts Horse

17

Farm Feature

Hubbardston

by Sheryl Hodge

Robby Hill Stables Making a Farm a Home

T

iming, as they say, is everything.

While searching for a home with land for their horses and the potential to offer boarding and more, Erin Langan and Kyle Fossey happened upon a fantastic property for sale in Hubbardston. Locals will remember it fondly as Wish Me Luck Stables, a staple in the community for many years.

Today, folks are recognizing the farm on its own merit by its new name, Robby Hill Stables (RHS).

heart and soul make the farm a home.

Leading the team are Erin and Kyle, complementary partners. “Erin is a dreamer,” says Kyle. “She’s able to see the potential of things. I’m more practical and straightforward in what I do. I don’t think we would be successful without a balance of both.”

“Erin has so much skill and potential in the horse world,” says Kyle, “and while I don’t share that expertise, I’m able to keep everything in the barn working and

As far back as she can remember, Erin was drawn to horses. There was no one defining moment, according to Erin, but there was a very special horse named Robby that fueled the spark and

With the help of family, friends, and a lot of sweat and countless hours, the barn doors at RHS opened in 2016. “It’s been a whirlwind of a year,” says Kyle.

They were just getting settled and had only a simple chalkboard sign at the end of the driveway indicating the new ownership, but that was enough to spark interest. Before they knew it, they had potential boarders calling and looking to move in — all this before they had even finished moving in themselves! And, just like that, the barn was full and their journey began.

the property in tiptop shape.”

Anyone who spends any time at the barn can attest to that. If you’re looking for Kyle and you don’t hear the lawn mower running, listen for the weed whacker. Seriously, his dedication to the betterment of the property is boundless.

“The grounds are amazing,” says Katrina, a boarder and instructor at RHS. “Kyle’s always working on the upkeep and improvement of RHS. And, if something needs fixing he’s on it ASAP.” Erin’s mom Jill is a very active part of the team. She brought horses into Erin’s life and continues to encourage her passion. “My mom inspires me,” says Erin. “She’s always trying [new things] and pushing the envelope, and I love riding with her.” Jill actively competes at the Training level in eventing with her off-the-track Thoroughbred, Code Name Allen.

Between Erin, Kyle, and Jill there’s a wealth of talent, experience, and knowledge ranging from horse training, care, and safety to what a facility should be physically, say boarders Katrina, Jill, Hilary, and Connie.

captured her heart at a very young age.

“I can still remember having to get a booster shot for kindergarten,” says Erin, smiling. “I was putting up quite a fight and I would only agree to stop fighting if my parents would let me go see Robby afterward.” That’s the kind of natural dig-your-heels-in attitude a rider needs to persevere and succeed.

Ah, the power of the horse had taken hold. “In first grade, I took my first official [riding] lesson and haven’t stopped since,” Erin says.

Robby first caught Jill’s eye and was originally going to be her horse, but family demands on top of school and work left Jill little time to devote to this rather hot pleasure horse. Robby was free-leased until life settled down. As it turned out, he was actually waiting on Erin. “I realized that riding was not going to be a passing interest [for Erin], so Robby came home to be her first horse,” says Jill.

Erin and Robby became an amazing team. They went on to win many ribbons at the local shows, but the relationship was much more than that. Erin spent

What Makes a Farm a Home?

RHS boasts 33 acres of open, beautiful, and tranquil wooded land. Currently, the property has more than an acre of fenced pasture with plans for more. The main barn is bright and inviting with 15 spacious stalls. There’s an indoor arena as well as a lighted outdoor ring for year-round riding. There’s also a trail system connected to the backside of the property for those who seek a peaceful hack in the woods.

Beyond the physical features, lots of 18 December/January 2018

There’s an undeniable kindness and honest passion put into all that they’re doing to build and create a unique and happy place for horses and their people.

What’s in a Name?

many hours with him, just being a little girl riding and loving her horse. “They were BFFs for sure,” says Jill. He was also the one to introduce her to the world of eventing in their last years together.

Thanks to Robby, Erin and Jill are still passionate about the sport today.

Erin has so many memories of Robby, some funny, some crazy, all great. He was more than her trusty mount; he was also her friend and a bit mischievous too. She’ll always admire how well he took care of her young self, but also recalls how he challenged her as well, like the time Robby broke out of his stall at camp and ran pretty much the whole way home! Robby passed when Erin was 14, but he’s forever a part of her heart, and in his honor the farm bears his name.

Robby had instilled a love for eventing in Jill and Erin, and they wanted to continue on that path. That’s how the second half of the farm name came to be. They came across a horse named Churchill in an online auction.

Based on a short write-up about him they made a bid. It was accepted, and the next thing they knew a big rig was rolling in with a delivery for them — a very handsome bay and their first offthe-track Thoroughbred.

Jill worked with Churchill and got him to the Novice level. When he seemed to lose confidence at the Training level she felt he needed something or someone else, and that’s when Erin decided to give him a try. “He started out as my mom’s horse, then I took the reins and we went on to compete at the Training level,” says Erin.

“I swear that Churchill smiled when Erin was riding him,” says Jill. “[They] had their own language going and he tried his heart out for her.”

They had a great deal of success at the Training level. One notable accomplishment was that they won their division and the perpetual trophy award at Huntington Farm in Vermont.

Churchill wasn’t ready to stop eventing entirely, but at the age of 13 he had peaked at the Training level. Erin, however, was just getting started as an eventer, but knew Churchill had honestly given her everything he had, so she never hesitated to do right by him.

Parting with him was a heart-wrenching decision, but the right one. They found him a new home where he would remain happy, healthy, and sound while Erin sought out her next partner.

“Churchill is truly loved by his new owners and is very happy,” say Erin and Jill.

“We still get to see him from time to time in the eventing world.”

That’s how Robby Hill Stables came to be named, in honor of two very special horses who helped turn a dedicated horse-crazy girl into an accomplished rider, trainer, and admirable young woman. The lessons we learn from our horses far exceed saddle time — their impact and inspiration is lifelong.

Natural Balance Equine Dentistry

When Work’s Really Play Well, okay, sometimes even if you love it, it’s still work, but if it’s satisfying work it can also be fun. Anybody who’s ever mucked a stall that’s in as much disarray as, say, a frat house after a wild party, can relate. “While there are certainly difficult times (New England winters), we both really enjoy our time around the barn,” says Kyle. At the end of the day, when the horses are all tucked in their stalls or out for the night and you hear the sound of them happily munching hay, and see their stalls and paddocks clean and tidy, you’re rewarded with a feeling of calm and rightness.

In keeping with his practical side, Kyle says, “We’ve all sorts of goals for the barn, both near- and long-term. Some very specific (drainage improvements, synthetic footing, run-in sheds) and some general, such as retirement paddocks [for rehabilitation and rescue].”

“Our future goals are definitely to keep making the facility more of what we want, what that is I’m not [completely] sure [yet], but we will see as time goes on,” says Erin. “In addition to boarding, training, a lesson program, and hosting dressage clinics, we would love to get more into rescue and rehabilitation.”

Erin says Doug Payne and Darrin Lawrence have influenced how she works with horses, and that goes beyond riding. “They’re both unreal horse people, not just amazing riders, but they truly study and understand the horses,” says Erin. “Everyone has something to offer and I try to learn from them all.”

Erin appreciates that when it comes to horses, everyone has an opinion and everyone has something that works for them. “I like to watch [others work with their horses] and try to understand what works for them, and then I decide [what might work for me],” she says. It’s that kind of humble, open, and generous mind that makes her not just a great rider, but an exceptional horsewoman.

When Erin was working her first

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job out of college, she found Dalton, and with money from her first few paychecks she bought him. Dalton came from Suffolk Downs and was three years old when Erin brought him home. He was with her while she was a working student with Doug Payne. Dalton was meant to be a project horse, but eight years later he’s still with Erin and very much a big part of the family and Erin’s current eventing partner. “[Dalton] is an amazing horse and always makes me feel way more of an accomplished rider than I really am,” says Erin. “He’s a very kind horse, but also mischievous.”

Perhaps he has a little bit of Robby in him.

Robby Hill Stables is on its way to becoming a fixture in the central Massachusetts horse community. Erin and Kyle are creating a home for horses and their people. “I see us as people just trying to find their niche in the horse world,” says Erin.

Sheryl Hodge is a long-time editor, but more importantly a life-long horse lover. She’s a horse crazy girl who never gave up the dream of having her own horse. It took decades, but was well worth the wait as she’s now owned by a smart, sweet, and sassy chestnut Quarter Horse mare who inspires her on every level, every day.

Massachusetts Horse

19

Horse Logic

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

by Nicole Birkholzer

M

but we are often not fully present enough to recognize the messages from the horse.

Based on the horse’s personality and experience, a message might be

Sensing

subtle or crystal clear, as was the case with Kaylaa, my 19-year-old Arabian trail horse.

Okie, my Appendix Quarter Horse, was insecure on the trails. He loved working in the ring but whenever I took him out for a spin into the woods he spooked and worried so much that I decided it was not worth putting him (and me) through the stress of trail rides. So I found Kaylaa, a veteran trail horse.

From the get-go, Kaylaa was a nononsense horse. She didn’t care to be doted over in the barn and when we went out on the trails she was in her element.

Kaylaa was refreshing. I wasn’t used to a horse taking the trails in stride the way she did. On our first trail ride I followed an old pattern the way I always had with Okie, using a lot of gentle legs, seat, and hand aids to help Kaylaa navigate around the puddles and rocks on our path.

For a short time, Kaylaa endured my

Stacey Stearns

any riders look at their horses as partners. We know when we work in partnership that our rides are smoother and our enjoyment is greater. How do we establish a partnership with a horse? Traditionally it’s been by teaching or training our horses how to operate in domestic settings and under saddle.

While teaching a horse how to conduct himself when he connects with us on the ground, in the saddle, or in front of a carriage, we look for collaboration from our equine partner. Our goal is for the horse to follow our lead, especially on the trail, so we can stay safe and enjoy the ride.

In this traditional approach the rider assumes all responsibility. We assume that we have the “big picture” of all situations while the horse is simply “along for the ride.”

However, if we remember that horses are sensing, sentient beings, extremely savvy in reading their surroundings, and are also great communicators, we’ll benefit greatly by paying attention to the feedback and insights our horses offer us on each and every ride.

Horses are driven by their curiosity and by their need for safety. Every moment of the day your horse scans his surroundings through smell, touch, taste, and hearing. Each of these sensations helps him to determine whether he feels safe (or not) in his environment.

Consider this. The moment you get on the trail together your horse is scanning the environment for obstacles, for predators, for anything out of the ordinary. Your horse’s level of confidence and experience will affect how your horse concludes whether or not he feels he can keep himself, and you, safe on the ride.

Ideally, you and your horse would know each other’s strengths and insecurities so clearly that you could interchangeably be the leader, or follower, depending on the situation.

In reality, more often than not the horse communicates to us what he or she is picking up in the environment, 20

December/January 2018

input but eventually she stopped in the middle of the trail and turned her head back toward me, her face expressing, “I can handle these puddles. Please get out of the way and let me do my job.” Her look and demeanor were so clear that I immediately apologized to her. It was obvious that she did not appreciate my micromanaging.

If it wasn’t for Kaylaa’s strong communication skills, I might not have realized that I was interfering with her competence. Considering how confident and fulfilled she was in her role as a trail horse, questioning her abilities could have eroded everything I loved about her.

Kaylaa taught me a valuable lesson — to not assume and to be open for feedback.

Once I understood how she went about her job I was able to add my own abilities and leadership skills on each trail whenever they were needed. Because Kaylaa communicated so clearly, I dialed back my aids and paid more attention to noticing her expertise. Kaylaa was virtually unfazed by anything — bicycles with training wheels, crazy puppies yipping on the leash, big boulders, and water crossings — Kaylaa took it all in stride. The only time I needed to encourage her with my aids was when we galloped across large fields. Crossing wide open spaces without the company of other horses was not her favorite pastime. Noticing the openings and opportunities for each of us to take the lead helped us become a great trail riding team.

Subtle Signs In my experience, not all horses express themselves as clearly as Kaylaa did.

Sometimes the signs are subtle and it might take some trial and error to understand the full message.

Shana, my other Arabian mare, was about five years old when we went to explore the trails in the back of my property for the first time. I had recently gotten a new bareback pad that Shana seemed to like, one which helped me to develop a better seat.

Tacked up and ready to go, Shana and I walked to the gate that would lead us

into the woods. Once through the gate and on the path, I found the perfect log to mount up.

As we had practiced in the arena many times, I used my body energy to draw Shana close. She responded beautifully and parked herself perfectly parallel to the log. Yet, when I was ready to swing my leg over her back to mount she moved away. I called her close again. She moved away once more. I tried for the third time, but eventually, I grew tired of her moving away, and so I ‘bossed’ her into standing still. She listened, begrudgingly.

Once on her back, we walked down the trail, but within moments I heard some unsettling noises.

It quickly became apparent that the noise was chainsaws and axes. My stomach tightened; I didn’t feel safe riding toward the loggers and neither did Shana. I could feel her body building up steam beneath me. If the loggers didn’t see us coming we could be crushed by a tree by the time the loggers called “timber,” or Shana could be spooked by sudden noise.

Pondering the situation as we headed back home, I suddenly understood why Shana had tried to keep me off her back. She must have been aware of the activities in the woods and knew that she and I would be affected by it. If I had trusted my relationship with her, I would have realized that she wasn’t being obstinate, but that she, being a horse, was more aware of her surroundings than I was — another lesson learned.

When we overmanage our horses every second of the ride, we don’t give them a chance to be in dialogue with us.

And with that, we miss out on the benefits the horse’s feedback can provide.

Not only does it make sense to incorporate the horse’s experience into the ride rather than to override it (pun intended), we also gain invaluable information that helps us evolve as a partner so we can become a better team with each ride.

The next time you head out on a trail ride, I invite you to give your horse some credit and notice what he or she is communicating. Look for the moments when you need to have your horse’s back, and also pay attention to the times when your horse has yours.

Nicole Birkholzer is on a mission to understand the logic behind our horses’ behaviors. Contact her and watch her free Horse Logic video series at horse-logic.com.

We have your horse.

The Raucher family and the Heritage Farm staff and community would like to thank our many friends and business contacts across New England for their support as we ride into our 46th year!

We wish each and every one of you, whether you have two legs or four, a very Happy and Healthy Holiday Season with Best Wishes for 2018!

Always a nice selection of horses and ponies for sale.

Watch videos and view photos at HeritageFarmEasthampton.com. s ee Call us to s and new horse s! ponie

Open to buy, sell, and trade horses 7 days a week, by appointment.

Nice Horses for Nice People.

The R aucher Family 30 Florence Rd., Easthampton, MA (413) 527-1612 HeritageFarmEasthampton.com State Auctioneer license # AU450

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21

Trail Guide

Feeding Hills

by Stacey Stearns

Robinson State Park

D

Massachusetts. A number of rare, threatened, or endangered wildflowers exist in the park. Animals spotted in the park include fisher cats, otters, beavers, deer, coyotes, red foxes, bears, moose, and many bird species, as migratory birds use the park as a stopover during their journey.

In the summer, the swimming pond and surrounding area are popular recreation spots. There are 20 miles of trails and paved roads in the park. A portion

Agawam). The long paved driveway into the forest is lined with white fence posts in places. Beware of the occasional pothole. Take a left at the T intersection just off of North Road, then a right at the next intersection. This will lead you down toward the picnic area and pavilion. You can park in the large grass field when you take your next left for the Pavilion parking area.

Parking during peak seasons is $8 for a Massachusetts vehicle and $15 for

places for me to visit, but somehow I’d never been. The Bay State Trail Riders Association (BSTRA) and the Scantic Valley Trail Riders (SVTR) hosted a fall foliage trail ride that finally got me to the park. The two clubs have worked together for years and spend many hours marking trails and organizing rides for equestrians.

Springfield businessman John C. Robinson donated the land to the state in the 1930s for recreational purposes.

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed the buildings. The park is 800 acres with the Westfield River as its northern border. The riverside had been intended for industrial development when Robinson began making purchases of small parcels in 1920, with the aim of creating an area preserved for recreation.

Robinson is known for its wildlife, including rare dragonflies and turtles.

The park’s variable levels of terrain and proximity to the Westfield River are ideal for hosting a wide variety of species of plants and animals, making it among the most diverse and rarest forests in

of the Metacomet-Monadnock trail runs through the forest.

“I enjoy riding at Robinson because it offers a variety of trails for a rider,” says Jenn Jacobson of Hampden. Jenn is a member of BSTRA and SVTR, and enjoys pleasure riding as well as competing in endurance. “I’ve done 20 miles in the park. It also offers plenty of parking for trailers both within the park and outside, by the dog park. There’s plenty of water access for horses along the trails and areas to graze. There are public restrooms and picnic areas near the pond for lunch after riding. The park rangers are always friendly and often driving around, so they are very accessible.

Summer riding there is pleasant with very few bugs.”

an out-of-state vehicle. On a Sunday morning in October there was no parking fee.

Carry in and carry out all trash, hay, and horse manure from around your trailer. It’s important riders remove manure from the trails as well. Simply dismount and kick the manure to the side.

My gelding is pretty good about swinging his tail end off the side of the trail now, a skill I highly appreciate in him!

The gates close at 4 p.m. in the offseason, and you need to be out of the forest before then. Plan on riding at Robinson State Park on Sunday through Thursday. The gates are closed on Friday and Saturday because the ranger has those days off each week. However, anytime the main gate is closed, you can park at the Agawam Dog Park on 124 Armory Drive and ride in to Robinson.

Just make sure you have dog-friendly horses! The dog park property backs up to Robinson State Park on the east side of the park.

This is the Springfield region of the state, and Robinson is a major day-use area. I saw people with dogs, hikers and

Stacey Stearns

riving into Robinson State Park in Feeding Hills takes you past Agawam High School and through thickly settled residential neighborhoods. I took a right into the forest and was transported into a different world. Trees formed a canopy over the driveway and I was soon encapsulated in the heart of the forest with a few other trail users and equestrians.

From a logistical standpoint, Robinson State Park is one of the closer

22

December/January 2018

A Leg Up The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation manages the park. You can download a map at mass.gov/dcr.

Enter 428 North Street in the town of Feeding Hills as your destination in your GPS (Feeding Hills is a section of

walkers, bicycles on the paved roads and mountain bikes whizzing along the trails.

“Because of the location of the park, it’s visited by many outdoor enthusiasts so it can be busy at times,” says Jenn.

“You encounter bikers, hikers, and people with dogs. ATVs and dirt bikes are not allowed in the park, but I have run across them as well. The area near the dog park has more activity than the backside of the park.”

“The footing of the trails varies, and depending what side you ride on you may need hoof protection for your horse,” says Jenn. “The long loop does have rocky parts but it’s minimal.”

There are port-a-potties by the picnic area and functioning bathrooms that are open during peak season. Hunting isn’t allowed in Robinson, although it’s never a bad idea to wear blaze orange.

The railroad runs on the opposite side of the Westfield River and trains can occasionally be heard.

HORSES SMALL ANIMALS Trailers 2018

EXOTICS ACUPUNCTURE CHIROPRACTIC HOMEOPATHY PHYSICAL THERAPY

Out Riding It The yellow, orange, and red leaves cascade slowly to the ground around me on the trail. The foliage in the area is stunning and lives up to the hype it receives.

The biodiversity of the area offers a variety of colors, with pine trees inserting green in the landscape.

“There are some tricky parts of the trail,” says Heather Cunningham of East Longmeadow. Heather is a member of BSTRA, SVTR, and the Reddington Rock Riding Club in Connecticut. She’s also a local 4-H club leader. “It’s narrow along the river leading to the dam, but it’s worth it for the view. There also aren’t many rocks compared to other places we ride.”

When you arrive at the dam there’s a lookout site with plenty of room for horses.

“I like to divide the park into two separate loops,” Jenn says. “The longer loop, on the side with the dam, offers a variety of trails and water crossings. You can pretty much ride at all gaits on that side of the park. It also has one of my favorite trails. I refer to it as the zigzag trail. It’s a mountain bike trail that, as described, zigzags through the woods. I find it a lot of fun to pick up a trot through there and practice leg yields and seatwork. On the other side of the park, to the west of the ranger station, where the picnic area and Robinson Pond are located, it’s hilly, but offers really pretty trails with one water source. It’s more shaded and quieter than the dam side.”

If you park in the big grass field

near the picnic area, you can head out on the yellow trail along the river. As Heather mentioned, it’s narrow, and also hilly. I found some drop-offs on the yellow trail by the river. Ride with caution in areas where trees line the trail, as there are roots and a few holes. The yellow trail follows the river past the ranger station and main entrance, and then up into the east end of the park. In here, you can follow the trail along the river, and take side trails to make loops and explore. Many of these trails are dead ends — ride with your map.

You can return to the main entrance on a different trail than the one you headed out on. Pick up the white trail just beyond the picnic areas.

The white trail meets up with the red trail and loops through the park, before connecting to the paved River Road. You can ride back to your trailer along River Road, and enjoy views of the river and Robinson Pond.

I’ll definitely be heading back, as it is yet another gem for Bay State equestrians to enjoy.

Happy trails!

Stacey Stearns, a lifelong equestrian from Connecticut, enjoys trail riding and endurance with her Morgan horses.

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Massachusetts Horse

23

Lend a Hoof Plymouth

by Rick Larsen

I

t’s kind of cliché but nobody is going to come up and ask to take a picture with a motorcycle, a police cruiser, or a police bicycle,” says Captain Dan Callahan of the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Mounted Patrol Unit.

“But with the horse — everyone wants their picture with the horse.”

The Plymouth County Sheriff Mounted Unit (PCSMU) is one of only six in the state. Others include the

can be very impactful in neighborhoods where they’re assigned. “[The city of] Worcester recently graduated six riders through the State Police Academy,” Dan says. “They’re going to be on patrol. Part of their intent is to put them into specific locations . . . they’re calling them hot spots or high crime areas. The police in these areas will be able to talk to the public . . . in a car or on foot no one’s going to

“A lot of times we’ll just walk through the crowd single file,” says Dan. “It kind of just splits them up and induces movement. You’re not being aggressive. You’re just going through.

Horses are big. People are going to step to the side. They’re going to start toward the sidewalks.”

The perception of police on horseback is a complete 180 from an officer on foot or astride a motorcycle. In fact,

Rick Larsen

“

Clip Clop The Sound of a Cop

Sheriff's Deputy Amy Buccafusca astride Reckless and Plymouth Police Officer Greg Lapollo on Tobias.

Massachusetts State Police, Boston Park Police, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Resources (DCR), the Berkshire County Sheriff’s Department, and the City of Worcester.

Equine mounted units are proving to be one of the most diplomatic community policing tools that cities and towns have at their behest. Mounted officers are approachable, indispensable for crowd observation or crowd management, and incredibly effective for search and rescue.

Public Relations Police horses have been the ambassadors for men and women in blue for decades. They’re even more important now. In response to the frequent us-versus-them mentality that has resulted in tragedies for both police officers and citizens, the concept of community policing has gained considerable traction. For this to succeed, two-way communication is critical. Mounted units 24

December/January 2018

Officer Greg clowning with Reckless before going on patrol on the waterfront.

approach you. But with horses, citizens approach you all the time.”

Crowd Management It’s difficult to put a price tag on the value of a mounted unit, but if you talk to those who ride for one, the matter of perceived efficiency verses actual effectiveness comes up. By comparison, the cattle industry has for years attempted to replace the horse with motorized vehicles, but ranchers continue to insist on using the horse for its ability to manage cattle without troubling or panicking them.

The same is true of police horses.

Used for crowd management, the police horse has the unique capacity to be able to direct a crowd through what might be termed amicable intimidation.

Police, whose job it is to keep the peace, can be perceived as fearsome by a crowd in certain situations. Horses aren’t perceived as fearsome, just large. They can move a crowd without conflict.

Officer Amy Buccafusca, who often rides with Captain Callahan and heads the training program says, “I’ve met kids out with their parents that may have never seen a horse before. I tell them about our horses and that gets them interested in riding. A few weeks later, I see them again and they’ll tell me stories about their first riding lessons. It’s very fulfilling to see kids get involved with horses after meeting me on patrol.”

Observation Platform that Moves “Horses can be used for search and rescue,” says Dan. “You’re ten feet up in the air. What you see at ten feet people on the ground cannot see. They can also get through a lot of terrain that is harder for people to walk through.”

“And, if there’s an altercation, the mounted police can help,” says Dan. “We can see what’s going on. We can circle around where the police [on foot] continued on page 46 . . .

Overherd

News in Our Community Xenophon Farm Wraps Up Dressage Series The 2017 Xenophon Farm Dressage Schooling Series was blessed with great competitors, fabulous volunteers, and supportive and encouraging judges. “You may note that we praise the competitors and volunteers after every show and that’s because they’re terrific,” says Elaine Kachavos of Xenophon Farm in Montague. “Positive attitudes, good sports-womanship, and respect for the horses goes a long way to create an ideal day for all. The weather? Too lovely to be true, at least until the October show which was damp, but short, and we dodged the dangerous stuff predicted.”

“One year we did have a massive storm, mid-show, which hurried us all to the safety of the barn,” says Elaine. “Horses and people tucked together in the aisles and in the indoor while bright bolts of lightning pierced the dark and thunder vibrated the doors.

Despite this fearsome display the horses packed together in this impromptu herd remained calm and seemed comforted. No such drama this year and we are grateful.”

“The Year-end Awards Banquet capped the season and 31 years of Xenophon Farm operation,” says Elaine.

“It was a festive celebration including several awards, door prizes, and our friend, frequent clinician, and “R” judge Bill McMullin as guest speaker.”

Bill offered insight from the judge’s perspective. What do dressage judges look for?

Several helpful suggestions for improving your scores included “mind your math,” as in pay close attention to 26

December/January 2018

your geometry — utilize the letters, make round circles in the prescribed size, and aspire to straight lines from

Training, and First Level and Above received champion and reserve championship awards based on the average

solid basic skills to get riders off to a safe and effective way of working with horses. The foundation of our equestrian sport rests on these values and we applaud the hard work and solid commitment of Shelby, Heather, and Susan. Three cheers, a special wine glass, and a bottle of wine were awarded to each. Sometimes teachers need a wee glass of wine to relax and reflect on the day.”

The 2018 show dates will be announced soon. Follow Xenophon Farm on Facebook to stay up to date with the schooling shows and clinics.

“Thanks to all and we we’ll see you in 2018!” says Elaine.

New Thoroughbred Racing Facility

Xenophon Farm’s Year-end Awards Banquet awarded prizes to riders in Introductory, Training, and First Level and Above based on the average of three best scores from three different judges in three schooling shows. Shiane Wheeler on Haflinger mare Kapri at the May show.

letter to letter. “While this certainly sounds simple, most of us know the challenge of simplicity,” says Elaine. In the two-day clinic following the banquet, riders had the opportunity to practice all they had learned from Bill’s talk.

“Xenophon Farm and our good friend Joy Dion of Dion Tack in Amherst offered a number of door prizes throughout the evening,” says Elaine. “It’s always fun when the grandfather of one of the riders wins the pink riding socks and offers to model them. Our motto for the evening was ‘He is not wise who cannot be silly sometimes.’”

The highlight of the evening was the awards.

Rider’s in Introductory,

of their three best scores from three different judges in three schooling shows. To see all the winners, visit Xenophon Farm’s Facebook page.

“Over the years we’ve gotten to know Shelby Ballantine of Pipe Dream Equine in West Halifax, Vermont; Heather Reynolds Dostal of RER Ponies in Hatfield; and Susan Rainville of White Spruce Farm in New Braintree, as they bring their students to the schooling shows and clinics at Xenophon Farm,” says Elaine. “Each of these women demonstrates a commitment to good sportsmanship, thoughtful coaching, and honest respect for every horse as an individual. They understand the necessity of

Sterling Suffolk Racecourse, the company that has operated racing and simulcasting at Suffolk Downs since 1992, the New England Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (NEHBPA), and the Massachusetts Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association (MTBA) are launching a collaborative effort to create the legislative, regulatory, and business conditions that would allow for the construction of a new Thoroughbred racing facility in the Bay State as well as exploring options for the siting of the new track.

The announcement was made prior to a hearing by the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies on Senate Bill 175, filed by Senator Joseph Boncore of Winthrop.

“The comprehensive Massachusetts gaming legislation created the Race Horse Development Fund as mitigation and protection for our industry, which is great for local horsemen, local breed-

ers, family farms, and the many small businesses associated with them, but does us no good if we don’t have a race track to run at,” says Anthony Spadea, president of the NEHBPA. “Senator Boncore’s bill, like the similar bill filed by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, allows up to half of the Race Horse Development Fund to be used for capital improvements and track operations. We’ve looked at several options and believe that this is the best path forward to preserve our jobs, our businesses, and the thousands of acres of open working space associated with horse racing in the Commonwealth.

We and the Massachusetts Breeders are excited to offer our full support to, and to work exclusively with, Sterling Suffolk on this initiative.”

“Since the Gaming Commission’s decision to award the Boston area casino license to the Wynn Everett project, the ownership at Sterling Suffolk Racecourse has given local horsemen and the Massachusetts Thoroughbred Breeders the ability to keep going by racing a limited schedule from 2015 to 2018 when we had no place else to run,” says George Brown, chairman of the MTBA and owner of Briar Hill Farm in Rehoboth. “We believe partnering with Sterling Suffolk and the NEHPBA

on legislation that would allow a portion of the Race Horse Development Fund to be used for track operations is the only way to protect our farms and our way of life.”

“We have looked at various models and, as the Legislature contemplates the future of racing and simulcasting, our company believes that we can create a new Thoroughbred racing facility in Massachusetts given the right economic conditions, including a longerterm extension of our racing and simulcast license, so that we have the certainty to invest in a new racing facility in partnership with the NEHBPA and the MTBA,” says Chip Tuttle, COO of Sterling Suffolk Racecourse. “We share the horsemen’s vision for a yearround, multi-use facility and look forward to working with the Legislative leadership and other stakeholders to pass legislation that would allow Thoroughbred racing to continue in Massachusetts.”

Over the last few years, the NEHBPA and the MTBA had sought legislation to create a horse park in Massachusetts. Sterling Suffolk Downs sold the Suffolk Downs racetrack property in East Boston and Revere in May of this year to HYM, a local developer.

Sterling Suffolk has applied for racing

Season’s Greetings &Happy New Year!

Thank you to all our customers and friends who made this a year to remember.

Join us in 2018 for more jumper shows, clinics,

hunter paces, derbies, starter horse trials, and

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December/January 2018

dates in 2018 and officials have said next year will be the last year of racing at the facility, which opened in 1935.

Sterling Suffolk ran eight days of racing in 2017, using nearly $3.4 million from the Race Horse Development Fund for purses, allowing local horsemen the opportunity to compete for the money, which has been building since the opening of the Plainridge Park casino.

“We’ve already done a lot of work on identifying sites in Massachusetts that can accommodate a one-mile racing oval, stables, and extended training schedule and other amenities,” says Paul Umbrello, the executive director of the NEHBPA. Chip indicated that Sterling Suffolk was reviewing the sites identified by the NEHBPA as well as other possible locations in the Commonwealth.

n Jessica Paquette

Massachusetts Delegation at Western Dressage World Championship Show Four riders from the Bay State traveled to Guthrie, Oklahoma to show at the Western Dressage Association of America’s Western Dressage World Championship show September 28 to October 1.

Logan Decourcey from Kingston

was the Overall World Grand Champion Junior High Point Rider with a score of 77.8 percent riding Butter. Read about Logan and her experience on page 42 of this issue.

Logan trains with Terri Hoy at Horseplay Stables in Middleboro.

Sixteen-year-old Haley Whittaker from Middleboro was Reserve World Grand Champion with Peppers Temptress in Basic Level Junior Rider with an average score of 71.8 percent. She

western dressage for more than 20 years. “I competed in a western dressage show more than twenty years ago when it was first being offered,” says Terri. “It just never really took off. Now with so much attention on western riding, versatility, and horsemanship, people are realizing how talented any breed can be at any level [of dressage] with the right training. The western tests are quite difficult and have more maneuvers than the

not go unnoticed by MFBF, and as such MFBF has advocated and supported the equine industry on numerous pieces of legislation. For example, many years ago, MFBF pushed to include equines in the definition of agriculture. This designation allows us to partake in some of the benefits that other livestock owners and producers enjoy, such as enrolling our stables and/or boarding facilities in Chapter 61a, which gives us a tax break on land.

This past year, we also fought for critical legislation that allows us to run profitable equine businesses. For example, MFBF supported a bill that would change the Massachusetts horseback riding instructor licensing program to be more in step with surrounding states’ licensing process. Currently, the licensing process includes a written test with questions focused on animal health, not on instructing riders. No other state has this test. The

The Massachusetts delegation at the Western Dressage World Championship show: It's Only Butter, Logan Decourcey, Terri Hoy, Dyna, Dana Pantano, DVM, Jean Whitaker, Kristen Whitaker, Haley Whitaker, Lucy, Sadie, and Shilo.

also was in the top ten of highest scores for the show.

Haley trains with Kristen Whittaker of Whit Acres Farm in Norwell.

Kristen was fourth overall with Lonesome Sadie in Level 2 Open with an average score of 70.9 percent.

Dana Pantano, DVM, of Norwell was Overall Grand World Champion in Level One Amateur with Barron’s Dynamite. Their average score was 68.9 percent. Dana also rides with Kristen.

“We all ride, show, and clinic together,” says Terri Hoy. “Kristen and I both teach clinics and try to promote this up-and-coming discipline with patience, positive reinforcement, and partnership values.”

“We all plan on going next year and I’m hoping to bring four to six students and five to six horses,” says Terri. “It should be another great year. We’ll train hard and be well prepared.”

Terri’s been teaching

classical dressage tests along with the standard requirements. It’s a wonderful discipline that allows a lot of riders to enjoy the art of dressage, which is so very important as it is the foundation for every discipline.”

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n John Dougherty

Morgan Grand National Many Morgans from Massachusetts took the trip to Oklahoma City to compete in the Grand National and World Championship 30

December/January 2018

Morgan Horse Show, held October 7 to 14. More than 1,000 Morgans were entered from all over the country and Canada, and competed in more than 300 classes for $400,000 in prize money.

For the fourth consecutive year, Matt Kwapich of Bernalillo, New Mexico, was the show's manager. This year, Sally Plumley of Monmouth, Oregon, served as show chairwoman. "We

Belchertown won the Grand National Four-Year-Old Hunter Pleasure Mare Champion-ship and the Reserve World Four-Year-Old Hunter Pleasure Championship. Dantree Farm owns the mare. Cindy also won the World Three-Year-Old Hunter Pleasure Futurity Championship and the World ThreeYear-Old Hunter Pleasure Champion-ship with her mare Blurred Lines.

Howard Schatzberg

legislation that MFBF supported would require the licensing process be removed with CORI checks being made a requirement for all riding instructors.

We also worked to revise helmet laws to make them more workable for adults on private properties and for equine show exhibitors.

Finally, we worked with members to support equine dentists’ right to use power equipment in their practice.

You may be wondering what spurred MFBF to pursue these pieces of legislation and the answer is members.

All our policy initiatives are set by MFBF members.

The process starts when a county member brings a resolution forth at the county’s annual meeting.

The resolution is then voted upon at the county level and if passed, will be forwarded to the resolutions committee who prepares and forwards the resolution to MFBF’s annual meeting. During the statewide annual meeting, delegates vote on the resolutions that were passed by the counties. Any resolution adopted at the state’s annual meeting becomes one of MFBF’s policy priorities.

This means you can make a difference.

For this reason, I want to encourage you to join MFBF. This organization works for you and we can’t work without you. While I’ve been told that our dues can be a financial burden for many, I should point out that the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine offers MFBF members a discount. The 10 percent discount that you receive off your bill from Tufts will usually more than pay for your membership.

To learn more and join MFBF, go to mfbf.net.

Emily Iovanna rode her mare Pembroke Sweet Treat to a Grand National and World title in the Hunter Seat on the Flat Equitation division.

were so happy to have more entries than in recent years participating in a record number of classes," Sally says.

"From thrilling Park Saddle classes, carriage [including a spectacular four-in-hand presentation], 38 entries in the newly added Ranch Horse Pleasure class, and everything in between, there was something for everyone as the versatility of our Morgan horses was demonstrated magnificently.”

Cedar Creek Flambeau GCH and Hannah Kelley of Mendon won the World Youth Park Saddle Championship, and for the second year in a row, this duo won Grand National Youth Park Saddle Championship. They show under the direction of David Rand. Also showing under the Rand stable banner, Dantree Debutante and Cindy Mugnier of

Miles of Fortune GCH and owner Nancy Andreano were the Reserve Grand National Classic Pleasure Driving Ladies Gelding Section A Champions. They went on to win the Reserve World Classic Pleasure Driving Championship! This duo culminated a great show season under the direction of Melissa Morrell of Moreland Farm in Rutland.

Melissa also coached Annika Jack riding Kerri Towner’s MEM Wasn’t Me to the Reserve Grand National Junior Exhibitor Hunter Pleasure 13-Year-Old Champion.

The 17-year-old Equinox Bossanova and Olyvia O’Brien unanimously won the Grand National Amateur Western Pleasure Stallion Championship. Then they went on to win the World Amateur Western Pleasure

Championship. In the Youth division, this duo captured the qualifying class and the world championship. “Four classes, four wins — pinch me,” says trainer/owner Christine Nava-Moulthrop of Timber Hill Stables in Kingston. “Livy started riding with me when she was three, and I started Boss to be a western horse. I’m proud of their accomplishments!”

Mike and Elizabeth Murphy of Legacy Stables in Middleboro brought 13 horses to the show. Assisted by instructor John Whalen, they accumulated an impressive number of titles.

Elizabeth’s daughter Emily Iovanna rode her mare Pembroke Sweet Treat to the Grand National Hunter Seat on the Flat Equitation 12 and Under Championship and the World Hunter Seat On The Flat Equitation 13 and Under Championship.

Showing CBMF Irreplaceable, Emily won the Reserve Grand National Junior Exhibitor Hunter Pleasure 12 and Under Championship. With Phenomenalee, Emily was the Reserve Grand National Junior Exhibitor Pleasure Driving 13 and Under Champion, the World Junior Exhibitor Pleasure Driving 13 and Under Champion, and the Reserve World Junior Exhibitor English Pleasure 13 and Under Champion.

One French Rose, owned by Richard and Patricia Pitman, won the Grand National Youth Hunter Pleasure Mares Championship and the Reserve World Junior Exhibitor Hunter Pleasure 14 to17 Championship.

Maria Tartaglione showed the mare.

Riding Springmill O What A Night, Carlee Veinotte won the Grand National Hunt Seat On the Flat Equitation 13 Championship and World Junior Exhibitor Hunter Pleasure 13 and Under Championship.

Cameo Dyer was the Reserve Grand National Hunt Seat on the Flat

fying class was the Youth Park Harness Finals. Nikki put on her thinking cap and remembered that Spider was previously owned by Lila Tatar who was at the show competing with Cater Stables. Lila agreed to catch drive Spider, and they were the Reserve Youth Park Harness Finals Championship. About 36 hours later, Nikki took the gelding back in to capture the World Park Harness Championship.

with a dedicated and hardworking show committee and staff, joined an impressive list of sponsors, officials, and volunteers to make this year's show the best ever,” Sally says. “All in all, the show ran smoothly.”

n Suzy Lucine

Bay State Equine Rescue Bay State Equine Rescue (BSER) has been continuing its property improvements.

Recently, community service

his forever home with Lynda Mockler. Lynda renamed him Percy and wasted no time spoiling him with all kinds of fun new horsey stuff.

They make a great pair and are certain to enjoy each other for years to come.

Our public support has brought us a long way. Why not join our team with a donation to help the horses?

To learn more and make a tax-deductible donation, go to baystaterescue.org.

n Karin Orsi

New England Saddle Fit

Karin Orsi

Equitation 14 Champion.

She was riding her gelding PCC Don’t Stop Believin.

SSLLC Ironman and Mike Murphy claimed the Reserve World Three-YearOld Futurity English Pleasure Championship.

Kevin Schengrund, DVM, owns Ironman.

Pembroke Annabella was a star whether being shown by Katelyn Aho or Elizabeth Murphy. With Katelyn, she was Reserve Grand National Walk Trot Hunter Pleasure 8 and Under Champion and the Grand National Walk Trot Hunt Seat Equitation 8 and Under Champion. With Liz in the saddle, Annabella was the Grand National Ladies Hunter Pleasure Mare Champion and the Reserve World Ladies Hunter Pleasure Champion.

Pembroke Annabella is owned by Debra Mudge.

Also showing under the Legacy Stable banner, Garland’s Ace of Spades and owner Alice Nazzaro won the Grand National Amateur Masters Western Pleasure Section B Championship and Reserve Grand National Amateur Western Pleasure Stallion Championship. Alice and her husband Bill own the 11-year-old black stallion.

The five-year-old gelding LC Amazing Spiderman had a challenging week leading up to a spotlight victory pass.

Trainer Nikki Rae Woodworth of KGA Morgans in Mendon planned to drive him in the Grand National Park Harness Mare and Gelding Championship on Tuesday, but after he got cast in the stall, there was too much swelling in a leg for him to compete.

Being that he’s only five and has an unlimited show career ahead of him, Nikki and his owner George Fayad followed their vet’s guidelines.

There were a few options for Nikki to show him and qualify him for the World Championship on Friday night, but she didn’t get a green light from the vet until Thursday.

The only possibly quali-

Bay State Equine Rescue’s off-the-track Thoroughbred Bob has been adopted by Lynda Mockler. He’ll live out his days as Percy in his forever home with Lynda.

“Spider was unhappy standing in his stall while his bruised leg healed,” George says. “But once we got the go ahead from the vet, he went back in the ring both times loving his job and wearing his ears to prove it.”

Nikki rode Dawn Fire’s Jake Ryan to the Grand National Park Saddle Championship. On the last night of the show, they came back to win the Reserve World Park Saddle Championship. Also showing under the KGA stable banner, MEM Evening On Broadway, ridden by Daisy Beisler, won the Grand National Amateur English Pleasure Mare Championship.

The Piano Man and owner Kayla McGovern had a good show, culminating with the Reserve World Junior Exhibitor Classic Pleasure Saddle 14 to 17 Championship.

“Matt Kwapich, along

workers spent several days painting the main barn at the rescue. This program is a win-win. The rescue was provided cost-free labor and the workers get the benefit of valuable and marketable skills. The facility has come a long way since the rescue purchased it, thanks to the endless volunteer hours and the community service program. The improvements have increased our stall space, created exercise/rehabilitation space, and safe turnout for the horses.

Our handsome Bob (an OTTB) was recently adopted!

BSER rescued him from a feedlot. He was barely two years old. He already had a successful career in racing.

After winning a good sum of money for his owner his reward was to be discarded.

After spending several years at the rescue he has found

There’s a new saddle fitter in town. Although she was a child when she fell in love with horses, it wasn’t until Lise Krieger was in her late 40s that she got her own horse Dudley. He’s a beautiful Canadian horse who brought everything horses into her life. Since then, Lise has immersed herself in lessons, clinics, and other adventures in order to listen, observe, and learn everything she can about horses with openness and curiosity.

This desire to learn led Lise to enroll in Mike Scott’s 250- hour saddle fitting course where she attended classroom sessions, did case studies, observed other saddle fitters in the field, volunteered at nonprofit organizations, and completed independent coursework. She’s now a certified graduate of the School of Saddle Fitting and Flocking.

During her training, Lise completed 60 case studies on a variety of breeds, multiple riding disciplines, and various levels. She worked with lesson horses and horses at therapeutic riding centers as well as evaluated saddles for competitive dressage, hunter/jumper, eventing, endurance, and pleasure horses.

Since completing her certification, Lise has been busily establishing her business, New England Saddle Fit. She works closely with each horse and rider, whether it’s to check and tweak an existing saddle or Massachusetts Horse

31

to help the client find a new one. In addition to working directly with horses, Lise does repair work including strip flocks, replacing billets, adding D-rings, and repairs.

As a new saddle fitter in the region, Lise realizes that she’s adding her services to the pool of well-established and gifted saddler fitters already working, and she’s excited to bring her skills to the equestrian community.

She continues to consult with and work alongside her more established saddle-fitting mentors as she builds experience and her practice.

Her saddle-fitting philosophy has evolved into one where she approaches each horse, rider, and saddle as a puzzle to be solved, looking for obvious answers to the problem as well as looking outside the box. Lise works with clients to enhance the horse’s comfort and performance level, as well as the client’s.

In addition to Dudley, her farm includes Canadian

mare MaeMae and three Miniature horses Belle, Monkey, and Nickers.

To learn more, visit newenglandsaddlefit.com or Lise Krieger’s New England Saddle Fit on Facebook.

NEDA champion Kaleigh Simmons with her instructor Heather Reynolds Dostal of RER Ponies in Hatfield.

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cian, judge, and owner of RER Ponies in Hatfield congratulates Kaleigh Simmons who won the New England Dressage Association YearEnd Junior/ Young Rider Training Level Championship riding Dancing with

Myself. Kaleigh also ended the year ranked 14th in the nation in the United States Dressage Federation Junior/ Young Rider Training Level

division and Connecticut Level One Training Level champion.

Sierra Grandonico with I Ain’t No Lemon won the Xenophon Farm Dressage Series Year-end Introductory Level Junior Championship and Alison Emrick won the Training Level Championship riding Loughrea’s Aine Noon.

RER Ponies is a United States Pony Club Riding Center that offers equestrian training, boarding, and sales.

Heather and husband Todd Dostal stared RER Ponies in 2003 and continue to expand the farm and offerings. Recently, a 72 x 145 indoor arena with 10 stalls, a heated classroom/viewing room, and a wash stall has been completed on the property. Heather is accepting new training clients and boarders.

A Gwyneth McPherson Dressage Clinic will be held January 20 and 21. Gwyneth joined the training staff at Pineland Farms in New

Gloucester, Maine, in 2003 where she is director, lead trainer, and head instructor alongside coach Michael Poulin. Gwyneth’s training has provided a wellspring of practical and technical knowledge, which she brings to her instruction of students of all levels who not only explains what, but also why, making her valuable to auditors as well as riders.

A Winter Schooling Show Series is planned with dressage, dressage trail, prix caprilli, and jumping to 2'3".

To learn more, visit rerponies.com and follow RER Ponies on Facebook.

Ogonowski, was in second place after the first round, rose to first place after the second round, and stayed at the top with a beautiful ride in the test to win the Adult 18–30 championship sponsored by Back Bay Farm.

Merle Beach moved up consistently from seventh in the first round to sixth in the sec-

Year was awarded to the late Walter (Wally) Haas. In a moving presentation describing Wally’s lifetime of support for the industry, daughter and trainer Kathy Haas-Ogonowski of Rising Star Equestrian Center accepted the award.

Mini Medal day was sunny, breezy, and busy start-

New England Equitation Championships The New England Equitation Championships (NEEC) celebrated its 42nd anniversary with a five-day event, October 18–22 at the Eastern States Coliseum. This competition is one of the longest running and most prestigious equitation finals in the

The annual, three-day Massachusetts Horsemen’s Council Days of Champions (MHC-DOC) Medal Finals, held in late September in Northampton at the Three County Fair-grounds, was again a great success. Nearly 400 exhibitors competed over the challenging Scott Alder-designed courses in the indoor arena.

Show chair Felicia Knowles and manager Debbi Tate, along with the team of secretary Charlene Brown, announcer Melissa Brown, hospitality coordinator Susan Couper, EMT Ken Mahoney, jump crew EMS Jump Company, and a tireless group of folks ran a welloiled machine, keeping the horses showing and the coffee flowing.

The four-judge panel of Scott Alder, Irving Evans, Jim Giblin, and Robert Dreyer working in alternating pairs sorted through the competitors to reward the top horse and rider pairs. On Friday, the Adult Amateurs took the stage with 102 adults showing.

In the Woodridge Farm-sponsored Adult Over 30 Medal, Robin Harkins, trained by Jay Sargent, moved from second in the test to be named champion and Janis Taranto rose from sixth in the test to reserve champion.

The younger Adults competed next and Allison Healy, who trains with Kathy Haas-

Melody Taylor-Scott

MHC Days of Champions

The 2017 Massachusetts Horsemen’s Council Days of Champions Mini Medal Champion Amira Kettaneh riding Nutty Buddy. Amira trains with Leigh Kettaneh.

ond round and a strong ride in the test to be named reserve champion.

The MHC-DOC Horse of the Year was awarded to Classico and the Sportsmanship Award was given to Candace Houston.

Saturday dawned rainy and chilly with 111 juniors to show in open classes and the Junior Medal sponsored by Corinthian Insurance. Eva Bernstein, Grace Thames, Katherine Delagarza, Jamie Page, and Lila Ouellee won their open equitation classes.

Moving up steadily from tenth after the first round to fifth after the second-round call back, Katherine Delagarza, who trains with Mary Drueding, rode a solid test to earn the Junior Medal championship. In first place at the end of the first round, Julia Stento moved to second spot after the second round, and held it through the test for the reserve.

Between rounds, the MHC-DOC Person of the

ing with four open equitation classes won by Maddison Pageau, Shea Woolley, Lindsey Bihuniak, and Bridey Jones respectively. The hotly contested Mini Medal hosted more than 40 upcoming young entry competitors over the interesting course requiring riders to adjust the bending lines to accommodate their horse or pony’s stride.

Called back on top at the end of the first round, sitting third in the call back after the second round, the Stoneymeade Farm-sponsored Mini Medal champion Amira Kettaneh, who trains with Leigh Kettaneh, rode consistently to win the test and the medal.

Reserve champion Caroline Palmer, moving up from eighth in round one to sixth in the call back, rode a strong and correct test to take the reserve.

To see full results and learn more about the MHC, visit mahorsecouncil.com and find them on Facebook.

n Melody Taylor-Scott

country. ShowNet livestreamed all week and USEF Network covered Sunday’s Junior Medal in West Springfield. Ellie Raidt, Matt Brayman, and Mckayla Langmeier commentated.

The respected judging panel was made up of Patrick Rodes (course designer), Brian Flynn (Lifetime Achievement Award winner), Chance Arakelian, Tom Brennan, Otis Brown, and Robin Ann Rost. Patrick’s course design challenged competitors with lots of connections and flowing bending lines.

The 46+ Adult Medal kicked off the week on Wednesday, October 18.

Brenda Tananbaum was champion and Jennifer Seidel was reserve. An unprecedented tie after two rounds in the 28–45 Medal demanded a test that Elysse Ruschmeyer executed for the win; Melissa Pelton was reserve.

On Thursday, two more Massachusetts Horse

33

the dinner, Nicole Lindquist and Raleigh Hiler were awarded the Junior Sportsmanship Award and beloved announcer and “R” jumper

The Challenge of the States team costume class celebrated 20 years on Saturday with as much enthusiasm as ever. Juniors with top scores

Anne Gittins

adult groups took to the ring. Allison Joyce was champion and Hannah Brown was reserve in the 22–27 group.

Rhian Murphy won the 18–21 division with Rebekah Chenelle in reserve.

The new Adult Equitation Championship Class on Thursday invited back champion and reserve riders from the four adult age groups to compete.

Rebekah Chenelle emerged victorious.

Junior Open sections ran Friday and Saturday. On Friday evening, more than 100 juniors took the written phase of the Horsemanship Class. Originating at the NEEC, the Horsemanship Class combines a rider’s written test score, practicum, and first round finals score to determine the overall top Junior Horseperson.

Afterward, 450-plus family and friends gathered for a fun-filled dinner and a commemorative video celebrating juniors in their last year. At

New England Horsemen’s Council Junior Hunt Seat Medal Final champion Emma Fletcher of Buzzards Bay on Conspicuous with, left to right, Ed Nowak, Linda Langmeier, Kathy Fletcher, Amber Woodruff, Samantha Burger, and Joe Dotoli.

judge John Bahret received the esteemed Sue Brainard award for his many years of dedication to the continued success of the NEEC.

in the open competed on teams of six to represent their home states with no help from their trainers allowed! Massachusetts Team

One won gold. Thanks to an anonymous donor, teams competed for money to donate to a charity of their choice. Gold donated to Paws for Purple Hearts.

On Sunday, the Junior Medal Final featured 181 riders. Between rounds, Clara Bechtold was crowned overall winner of the Katie Battison Horsemanship Award. Top scoring juniors who have never competed in a 3'6" final were eligible for a separate set of ribbons. The win went to Libby Lestage.

Sam Walker won the High Point Junior Rider Award.

Emma Fletcher laid down flawless rounds to become the NEHC Junior Medal champion. Emma’s trainers are Linda Langmeier, Amber Woodruff, Kathy Fletcher, and Grazing Fields Farm.

Reserve went to Ava Stearns who trains at North Run. The Adult Sportsmanship award was given to Anne Keesler and Jacquie Arakalien. The Groom’s

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December/January 2018

Award was won by Antonio Bustamonte.

To see the full results, visit newenglandequitation.com.

n Melissa Welch

Island. She won a NEHC jacket and clock, a $2,000 scholarship from William Woods University, and several other prizes. Every year William Woods University

offers a scholarship to the champion in each of the three junior medals, Saddle Seat, Western Seat, and Hunt Seat Pleasure Equitation. In addition, NEHC offers a

Octoberfest Horse Show Highlights The New England Horsemen’s Council (NEHC) Western and Hunt Seat Pleasure Equitation and the Saddle Seat Medals were held on October 27 and 28 at Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield. These classes were double judged

by Jennifer Baker of Vermont and Chris Cassenti of Massachusetts.

In the Adult Western Medal, six riders qualified and three riders came to the show to compete for the medal. The winner was Christina Fuller of Plymouth.

Christina received a NEHC jacket, belt buckle, and several other prizes.

The winner of the Hunt Seat Pleasure Equitation Junior Medal was Alexa Buona from Hope, Rhode

$500 scholarship to the winner in each of the junior medals.

The NEHC Walk Trot Western/Hunt Seat Medal for ages 11 and under was offered this year for the first time. The winner was Massachusetts rider Lila Bednarski.

The Saddle Seat Medal had 17 qualified and 14 rode the medal. The Walk Trot Saddle Seat Medal had eight riders.

NEHC medal riders qualify all year to compete in the Medal Finals at the Octoberfest Horse Show.

To learn more, visit nehc.info.

n Camille Pepin

Overherdisms

The annual Fall Fun Frenzy Show was held Sunday, October 29, at Camp Marshall in Spencer. Despite the random downpours all the participants seemed to enjoy this relaxed fun show. The costume class was a hit with the most amazing costumes for both horse and rider. Camp Marshall has a terrificl series of events for 2018. To learn more, visit campmarshall.net.

• “Sometimes I get mad at my horse for being so lazy but really, who am I to judge?

• “I like to imagine my horse narrating his day. He’s probably all like ‘and then she made me work when all my friends were eating!’ ”

Sales . Training Boarding . Lessons Western Dressage Classical Dressage Pleasure & Show All disciplines welcome!

Problem solving and correct starting for young horses.

Clinics available at your farm and ours.

Horseplay Stables WDAA World Champion Trainer/Owner Terri Hoy Assistant Trainer Casey McKeen

182 Cherry St., Middleboro (774) 406-7248 horseplaystables.com Massachusetts Horse

35

Partners Our goal is to foster connections within the horse community throughout the Bay State, and one of the ways we do this is with our Partners Program. Massachusetts organizations that partner with us receive a free one-year subscription for each member; space in the magazine for news, events, and photos; and a link from mahorse.com to its website.

Hampshire County Riding Club Many thanks to our members, their families, and our 4-H volunteers for helping maintain and improve our grounds and for making this year’s activities a success.

Members have continued to enjoy our woodland obstacle course, and we used the obstacle trails on October 22 for our annual Scavenger Hunt held in conjunction with the Fun Day put on by the Hilltown Misfits 4-H Club.

Participants could take part in gymkhana events in ring one, an obstacle course in ring two, and the scavenger hunt. It was a wonderful time for all ages and abilities with perfect autumn weather.

We’ve completed our scheduled trail rides for this year and are looking forward to new locations in addition to our annual favorites next year. One of our favorite rides was the Northfield Mountain and Recreation Area Foliage Ride held October 15. It was a perfect fall day where riders could choose their own route to the mountain-top reservoir and back, followed by a sumptuous potluck barbecue at the picnic area. In true New England fashion, we ended the riding season with a Hammonasset Beach Ride in Connecticut on November 4.

Although it may seem odd to be at the beach in November, we encountered riders from New York and Connecticut.

The beach was full of horses.

The annual meeting and elections took place October 15 at the Westhampton Library. The program featured Marianne Lemelin of the Peaceful Valley Donkey 36

December/January 2018

Rescue (PVDR) Satellite Adoption Center located in Granby. At its home base in Texas, PVDR provides sanctuary for donkeys and wild burrows, which are distributed to large ranch sanctuaries and satellite adoption centers around the country.

PVDR then offers gentled, friendly, healthy donkeys for adoption. We learned about the adoption program and the plight of donkeys, not

comed incoming president Kristen Trudell. We thank Nancy for her years of dedication and commitment to MQHA, and we wish Kristen much success as she carries the torch as our leader promoting the Quarter Horse in Massachusetts. Our next general meeting will be held December 2 at 6 p.m. Details are posted at massqha.com.

Show dates for 2018 include our Novice and

Hampshire County Riding Club members and guests enjoyed a beach ride at Hammonasset Beach in Connecticut November 4.

only in the U.S., but worldwide. If your equine would like a companion, consider giving a home to a rescue donkey from PVDR. The annual meeting, elections, and refreshments followed the program.

At the January17 meeting, the activities committee will be scheduling the 2018 calendar of events. Watch for trail rides, clinics and other events and activities scheduled at our Goshen club grounds and around the state.

To learn more, visit hampshirecountyridingclub.org and follow us on Facebook.

7 Diane Merritt

Massachusetts Quarter Horse Association The first meeting of our club’s calendar year took place on November 4. We gathered at the Italian Club in Taunton where we bid farewell to outgoing president Nancy Moos, and wel-

Open Breed Show April 13, 14, and 15 and our Spring Show May 16 to 20. Both shows will be held at the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield. Be sure to check our website for updates on other pointed shows, including the Region Six Super Six Series and Novice Regional Championship Show July 17 to 22.

Congratulations to our members who showed at the All American Quarter Horse Congress in October and the World Show in November.

We have top-notch horses and riders representing our state! Good luck to our snowbirds who will travel south to the Florida Gold and Gulf Coast circuits after Christmas.

As we welcome in a new year we invite new members to join our club and participate in our shows and club meetings. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to our club officers by going to massqha.com.

In closing, we wish you a happy, healthy, and horsey new year!

7 Lori Mahassel

New England Equestrian Center of Athol Now that winter has arrived, most of us are looking back over the rides and events of 2017 and are already looking forward to the spring.

NEECA ended its fall season with the annual Fall Social in November. More than 100 members, friends, and family gathered to enjoy a buffet dinner, a silent and live auction, and to celebrate a year filled with clinics, shows, fun events, and the popular gymkhana series. This year, the champions in gymkhana were presented with commemorative NEECA belt buckles, new awards that we hope to continue.

As any equestrian organization knows, volunteers are the heart and soul of what we do. So, every year at the NEECA dinner we award a person voted as Volunteer of the Year with a special jacket to thank him or her for outstanding service to the organization. This year, Mallory Ellis was the unanamous winner. Mallory is a key organizer for the gymkhanas, is frequently the person on the tractor dragging the ring before events or mowing the grounds, and is at almost every NEECA event, usually with her fouryear-old son Liam, who won his own belt buckle for Division C at the gymkhanas this year!

Mallory was also one of the ingenious minds behind the Elwin Bacon Memorial Fun Day held at the park in November. The day included a hilarious scavenger hunt held throughout the grounds. Teams rode out on the trails, the park roads, parking areas, and around the rings, photographing items — some in the open and some cleverly concealed.

Meanwhile, a trailer race was taking place in the main

with safe rides and drives, frisky foals, new skills, and championship ribbons. Our next update will include information on the events planned for next year.!

7 Laurie Neely

inspire future land preservation among members of the foxhunting community. This year’s recipient for the New England region is Susanna Colloredo-Mansfeld of the Myopia Hunt. Terence

Caroline Mansfield

arena, and no, this wasn’t NASCAR with trailers in tow!

With a horse on the trailer and tack on a stand, riders and grooms unloaded and tacked their horses, the riders ran a barrel pattern, and then returned to load and secure the horse back on the trailer. The afternoon featured a costume class and more mounted games, all without ribbons or times.

Everything was just for fun, though thanks to some donations of small items, there were prizes for the winners in each game.

We’re very excited to announce that if you use PayPal, you will now be able to send your membership dues, entries for events, and make any (always welcome) donations by using the PayPal email address neecaathol@gmail.com.

Please remember to use the notes field explaining what the payment is for. The treasurer will appreciate it!

NEECA wishes everyone, people and equines alike, a wonderful holiday season.

May 2018 be a year filled

New England Equestrian Center of Athol’s Volunteer of the Year Mallory Ellis was presented with a special jacket by NEECA president Althea Bramhall.

Myopia Hunt Club The Masters of Foxhounds Association (MFHA) Foundation created the District Conservation Awards to recognize outstanding conservation efforts and to

Hook, Master of Foxhounds (MFH), Green Mountain Hounds, Vermont, and the New England representative to the MFHA board, surprised Susanna with the award at the recent All-New

England Hunts Meet north of Boston. She received an engraved silver julep cup and a one-year subscription to Covertside.

“When the Myopia Hunt was founded in 1882, and even when the MFHA was founded in 1907, access to open land was not a major problem,” says Terence.

“Now, in the twenty-first century, one of the most important missions of the MFHA, and in particular by the MFHA Foundation, is to promote land conservation and garner support from beyond the hunting community. One of the best things I get to do is to recognize an exceptional individual who’s done exceptional things for land conservation in the interest of hunting. Susanna needs no endorsement from the MFHA. On the contrary, it’s our honor to be able to recognize her contributions.

This is the least we can do to honor the vigilance and dedication that will keep our sport going into the twentysecond century.”

In support of Susanna,

Paula Simmons

Paula Simmons

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37

challenge grant and working tirelessly to rally support for this cause, Susanna has ensured that Sagamore Hill will now be preserved in perpetuity for all Essex County

ple to achieve our conservation goals. She uses a sense of humor and self-deprecation to get people to come around.”

“The Myopia Hunt is

Shawn Tinkham

Myopia Hunt joint MFH Kim Cutler submitted a narrative of her accomplishments, beginning with Susanna’s desire to protect the local countryside of her childhood for her own children to enjoy.

Dismayed at how the land had been divided and threatened when she returned home as an adult, she formed the Essex County Trail Association (ECTA), which today protects access to a network of more than 450 miles of trails across six towns in eastern Massachusetts.

“Susanna is an ardent supporter of every major conservation organization in Essex County and many throughout Massachusetts,” says Kim. “The Essex County Greenbelt, on whose board she has served for many years, helps landowners, farmers, towns, and organizations, realize land conservation goals and has protected more than 15,000 acres of land. This past year, Susanna spearheaded a coalition to save a 525-acre tract of land, Sagamore Hill, from development. Making a significant

MFHA board representative and MFH of the Green Mountain Hounds Terence Hook presents the MFHA Foundation District Conservation Award to Susanna Colloredo-Manfeld.

residents.”

Greenbelt president Ed Becker says, “Susanna has a disarming way of working with diverse groups of peo-

especially grateful that we can continue to hunt across Sagamore Hill, a beloved Essex County property noted for its panoramic views, high

open fields, and old stone walls,” says Kim. “Susanna is the driving force behind the preservation of Appleton Farms, the oldest continuing working farm in the country with more than one thousand acres, now under the protection of the Trustees of Reservations,” says Kim. “Susanna led Appleton Farms Grass Rides, educating participants on horseback about the ecological history of this Trustees of Reservations property.

Fostering a love of the landscape and its history no doubt recruits future land conservationists and proponents of open space as a way of preserving community value.”

“She’s a respected and beloved member of the equestrian community,” says Kim. “Her family shares her love of equestrian sports.

Her son Franz is a leading polo player in the area; her grandchildren are often in the hunt fields and are polo players as well. Her hunting days are over, but she

Scott Porter

H U N T E R / E Q U I TAT I O N SHOWS White Horse Hill

January 28

Blythewood Stables

March 4

Blythewood Stables

March 18

White Horse Hill

April 15

Biscuit Hill Farm

April 22

Riverbank Farm

April 28

Stoneleigh-Burnham School

April 29

Bellwether Stables

DRESSAGE SHOWS English and Western Tests

February 11

Mount Holyoke College

March 25

Higher Ground Farm

Featuring year-end awards in many divisions.

April 8

Muddy Brook Farm

Full schedule can be found at

April 22

Heritage Farm

WNEPHA.com

April 29

Higher Ground Farm

An organization for horsemen, by horsemen.

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December 17

December/January 2018

remains a permanent fixture at our events. She may be seen at the Myopia Horse Show, at hunt teas, and at stirrup cups waving to and cheering on the foxhunters as we hunt her property.

Always humble and gracious, Susanna’s campaigns are always for others, not herself.

Her concern for the quality of life in our community is based on the respect for the land and for responsible development.”

7 Dr. Terence Hook, MFH,

again graciously presented

by ONBH’s own Sidesaddle Hall of Famer and whip Rhonda Watts Hettinger. It was, as always, a fun-filled day of mostly first-timers and

sidesaddle, trotting, cantering, and one brave soul even jumping sidesaddle.

Our October 1 Hunter Pace at Red Rail Farm in Lincoln hunt territory was

and Kim Cutler, MFH

Liz Goldsmith John Collins

Old North Bridge Hounds’ fall hunt season was an exciting and event-packed one indeed, filled with many memorable days spent with horses, hounds, and friends, old and new.

One of the highlights was the Annual Blessing of the Hounds Hunt, held October 21 at Longfellow's Historic Wayside Inn in Sudbury. It was a beautiful day and picturesque setting, indeed, as a Scottish bagpiper followed by a minister, a singer dressed in period attire, along with ONBH’s huntsman, staff, hounds, and the field of riders and their mounts proceeded across the front of the historic Inn, over the bridge, and up the road to assemble in front of the chapel. It was a sight to behold. The blessing ceremony took place in front of the quaint Martha-Mary Chapel, which on most weekends hosts brides and grooms, not foxhounds and horses. The hounds kept their composure for the ceremony and by the conclusion of the blessing were eager to move off under their watchful huntsman Ginny Zukatynski. Along the route a stirrup cup was hosted by the Souchecks of Red Oak. (A stirrup cup is the traditional drink served at a foxhunt.) At the conclusion of the hunt all enjoyed libations in the Inn’s 1707 tavern followed by a sumptuous lunch in the historic Ford Room.

ONBH’s annual Sidesaddle Clinic on September 10 at Fox Brook Farm in Berlin was once

John Collins

Old North Bridge Hounds

Old North Bridge Hounds Blessing of the Hounds at the Historic Wayside Inn.

their horses enjoying first experiences riding aside.

Rhonda started the day sharing the history and background of sidesaddle, explained sidesaddle design and evolution, tack and attire, and gave a demo ride on her currently in-foal mare Cricket. Rhonda then supportively coached each rider through the process of acclimating to riding aside.

Riders who mounted with trepidation quickly relaxed, and were soon grinning and laughing as they successfully navigated the new world of

blessed with good weather and was enjoyed by all who rode. Many went home with smiles on their faces and ribbons as mementoes of the day. The results are posted at oldnorthbridgehounds.org.

The weather kept the horses and riders cool and comfortable for the annual New England Hunts Championship Hunter Trials on October 29 at Great Brook Farm in Carlisle, organized and hosted by ONBH. Despite a bit of drizzle later in the day, it could not have been a nicer fall day

for the annual event. Riders from many of the New England hunts including Green Mountain Hounds, Wentworth Hunt, Norfolk Hunt, Myopia Hunt, and ONBH competed, including a talented group of juniors and a determined group of unaffiliated riders. The Heard Cup this year went to Daun DeFrance of the Wentworth Hunt. The ride was followed by a lovely meal served in the Ski Barn with lots of comradery. Complete results are available at oldnorthbridgehounds.org.

Thank you to all the hunts, riders, horses and, most importantly, all the volunteers and chief judge Ann Geoghegan, who came out to make the New England Hunts Championship Hunter Trials a wonderful event. The Myopia Hunt will do the honors of hosting next year’s annual event.

ONBH members enjoyed a full season of fall hunts on Tuesdays and Saturdays including a joint hunt hosted by the Norfolk Hunt at Tufts in Grafton.

Our Thanksgiving Day Hunt in Concord was the last big event of our fall hunt season. How nice to start the holiday with our hunt tradition of horses, hounds, friends and enjoying the stirrup cup hosted by the Beeuwkesses at October Farm before heading off to join our own families in each of our traditional Thanksgiving celebrations.

With the hunt season concluded, ONBH members and friends are looking forward to our annual Masters Dinner on December 9 at Wedgewood Pines Country Club in Stow.

And, once again, we must thank all who make our events possible — staff, members, supporters, volunteers, and, most importantly, the hounds, horses, and landowners without whom A Hunting We Could not Go. To learn more, sign up to receive email announcements and more at oldnorthbridgehounds.org.

7 Susan Goldfischer

Massachusetts Horse

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Lend a Hoof

held September 23 raised more than $2,500 for the MSPCA at Nevins Farm in Methuen. The day combined a sevenmile hunter pace, a timed obstacle course, and a horsemanship-knowledge quiz for riders of all ages and abilities.

In the past 13 years, Massachusetts Horse has raised more than $65,000 for horse-related nonprofits in the Bay State.

Horse-and-rider teams enjoyed gorgeous trails, fun competition, delicious food, and ribbons and prizes for each phase of the day as well as a Best Team Spirit Award.

A very special thank you to Robin “Chick�

Taylor who envisioned and created the amazing trails; Massachusetts Horse writer Alessandra Mele and her family for hosting the benefit, creating and building the course, volunteering at every turn, and making us all feel right at home; MSPCA at Nevins Farm employees and volunteers for the daily love and support they provide to the horses in their care; volunteers, supporters, friends, photographers, and family; our sponsors and advertisers; and all the riders.

Karen Morang Photography

The Massachusetts Horse BeneďŹ t Adventure Trail

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December/January 2018

Alessandra Mele

Alessandra Mele

Karen Morang Photography

Karen Morang Photography

Wilbraham

To see more photos, find us on Facebook: Massachusetts Horse Benefit.

Jake Corbett

Thank you to the sponsors of the Massachusetts Horse Benefit Adventure Trail!

Jake Corbett

The Mele Family hosted the benefit at their Sandalwood Stables in Wilbraham where friends and family volunteered.

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Youth Profile Kingston

Logan Decourcey ogan Decourcey of Kingston won Overall World Junior Rider Basic Level Grand Champion and High Point Junior Rider at the Western Dressage Association of America (WDAA) World Championships, held September 28 to October 1 in Guthrie, Oklahoma. Fourteen-year-old Logan rides under the direction of Terri Hoy at Horseplay Stables in Middleboro.

Riding Palomino Quarter Horse It’s Only Butter, owned by Terri, Logan had the highest scoring single ride out of

L

and her horse was properly conditioned, both physically and mentally, for the long trip and difficult schedule.

“When Logan arrived in Oklahoma, she knew what she had to do and wasn't overwhelmed or taken aback by the huge scale of the show. She did all her warm-ups and ride planning on her own. I never had to get the horse warmed up for her or tacked up — she handled it all like another day at the farm. Logan’s being so ready and relaxed made Butter relaxed and able

looks at you right through your eyes and you can feel it!”

“Butter and Logan have a very special relationship,” says Terri. “Butter is a little quirky about showing her emotions and affection to just anyone; you have to earn her trust. Logan has done that through patience, lots of positive reinforcement, and confidence.

They’re really something to watch.

They just click. Butter nickers to Logan every time she sees or hears her. It’s really heartwarming to see their bond.”

the events’ 817 scored dressage tests! As if that wasn't enough, It’s Only Butter was the high-point Quarter Horse.

Logan’s a freshman at Bristol Agricultural High School in Dighton.

“Logan’s one of the most dedicated, hard-working students I’ve ever had the pleasure to coach, and I’ve coached many,” says Terri. “She’s at the barn six days a week and never misses her days.

She’s so passionate and involved with every aspect of her riding and training.”

“Logan’s biggest strength is her confidence and desire to learn,” says Terri. “She’s never afraid to try new things and ride new horses. For such a young woman, she really trusts herself to make good decisions when mounted and unmounted. This is what impressed me the most at the WDAA World Show.

Logan took the time months in advance to completely prepare herself and her horse for this huge event. She was ready

to perform at her best.”

“At home on the farm now, she’s right back to work — mucking stalls, grooming horses, helping with young riders, and preparing for next year’s show season,” says Terri. “She does all this and maintains excellent grades.

Logan is one of those students that every trainer is blessed to have.”

Butter is a 10-year-old, double-registered Palomino Quarter Horse. Terri’s owned Butter for more than eight years. “She’s a phenomenally smart mare, which is her best attribute, because when you’re teaching her something new, if you take your time and let her understand what you want, she’ll do it perfectly and never forget it,” says Terri. “Butter loves to be pampered and is a real people horse. She gives the best hugs and kisses — she really does it like she’s part human.

When she looks at you she actually

We wanted to get to know Logan and asked her the following questions.

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December/January 2018

When and where did you start horseback riding?

At age 10, I started riding at a local barn and then came to Horseplay Stables when I was 11.

What’s a typical day for you?

I’m up at 5 a.m. and on the bus at 6:00.

After school I take the bus to the barn.

I’m at the barn until 7:30 p.m., then homework and bed. On the weekends I spend most of my time at the barn.

When you’re not at the barn or riding, where is the most likely place to find you?

When I’m not with horses, I’m in school or sleeping. I love being at the barn.

What’s your most embarrassing show ring moment?

Does Butter have a funny quirk or behavior?

Once at a dressage show, I gave my trainer the wrong test to read, and I started riding the wrong test, until we realized it and fixed it.

She gives kisses. When you say, “Butter give me a kiss,” and put your lips on hers, she wiggles her lip.

What characteristic do you value most in a horse?

Where do you hope to be in five years?

I hope to be in college and still riding.

I love a horse with good manners.

Do you have a favorite horse or pony that you’re riding now?

My favorite horse is Butter. She’s a pretty Palomino. Butter is really smart and spirited. I just adore her.

What’s your favorite book?

The War Horse

This has been a very rewarding year for you! What has helped you become so successful?

My trainer Terri Hoy. Terri can be hard on me when she knows I can do better, but always encouraging when I do well.

She’s a great trainer and has dedicated a lot of time to help me become the rider I am. Also, being in the saddle

Dressage Schooling Show Series

Join us in 2018 for our popular Dressage Schooling Show Series!

Dressage Clinics Bill McMullin Sharon McCusker Bill Warren Verne Batchelder

Like us on Facebook to see who’s coming!

Stalls Available

Stalls available in the 16-stall barn with attached indoor arena. Nestled at the base of Mt Toby this “Massachusetts Horse Farm of Distinction” provides outstanding care for you and your horse.

Do you have pets?

We have ducks and a cat and my best buddy is my dog Baron. I got him when I was a year old so we’ve grown up together.

What’s your most loved horse show snack?

Bagels with cream cheese.

What’s your horse’s favorite treat?

Of course, she like peppermints. On special occasions she loves green apple Jolly Ranchers.

almost every day and getting lots of lessons from Terri.

It wouldn’t have been possible without the support from my family and barn family. My barn family is awesome!

They have been so supportive and encouraging. I’ve also made some great friends. I have something in common with everyone at the barn — we all love horses.

Do you know a Bay State youth who’d be a great Youth Profile in a future issue? Email youth@mahorse.com.

XENOPHON FARM

30 YEARS OF OUTSTANDING CLINICS, LECTURES & COMPETITIONS! JANICE

& ELAINE KACHAVOS

80 SUNDERLAND RD., RTE. 47 MONTAGUE, MASS. 413.367.9828 X ENOPHON FARM @ AOL . COM Massachusetts Horse

43

events Massachusetts

December

2 HOLIDAY TREE LIGHTING AND CHRISTMAS FEAST FOR THE HORSES, MSPCA at Nevins Farm, Methuen. mspca.org/nevins.

2 IEA HUNT SEAT SHOW, Holiday Acres, Rutland. rideiea.org.

2 NORFOLK HUNT SCENIC BEACH RIDE, Horseneck Beach State Reservation, Buzzards Bay. norfolkhunt.com.

2 HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE, New England Equine Rescue North, West Newbury. neernorth.org.

3 IEA HUNT SEAT SHOW, Rising Star, Medway. rideiea.org.

3 IEA HUNT SEAT SHOW, Canterbrook Farm, Hamilton. rideiea.org.

Presents the 23nd

Equine Expo Paraphernalia Sale Saturday, April 28, 2018 . 9-3 Large marketplace of new and used items!

Plus services for the horse, rider, and driver.

Demonstrations All Day and a Silent Auction $5 Admission . children under 10 free Held in the Arena Building at the Topsfield Fairgrounds, Route 1, Topsfield Vendor Spaces Available . Free Parking

Contact Kay at: 978-768-6275 or kljoreo@aol.com

3 HERRING BROOK FARM SHOW, Pembroke. herringbrookfarm.com.

3 WINTER SCHOOLING SHOW, Camp Marshall, Spencer. campmarshall.net.

4 GRHC MEETING WITH LISE KRIEGER SADDLE FITTER, East Meadow School, Granby. granbyregionalhorse.org.

8 WNRDC ANNUAL YANKEE SWAP, West Newbury. wnrdc.com.

9 CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL, Crimson Pointe Farm, Middleboro. (781) 217-5944.

9 AZRAEL ACRES AWARDS BANQUET, Village Haven Restaurant, Forestdale, Rhode Island. azraelacres.com.

Barefoot Hoof Care – Rehabilitation & Optimal Hoof Function Diet & Nutrition Analysis – Total Body Health Natural Horsemanship Training – Connection & Communication Classical Dressage & Work-In-Hand – Balance, Strength, & Agility

Achaina . . . Holistic Equine Services Kathleen Ladendecker xx

(413) 310-4692 . Achaina.com . kathy@achaina.com

44

December/January 2018

9 ONBH MASTERS’ DINNER, Wedgewood Pines Country Club, Stow. oldnorthbridgehounds.org.

9 MOUNTED ARCHERY CLINIC with Marcy Baer, Martha’s Vineyard Community Horse Center, West Tisbury. mvhorsecenter.com.

9 JUMPER SHOW, Stoneleigh-Burnham School, Greenfield. sbschool.org.

9 – 10 SMARTPAK RETAIL STORE HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE, Natick. $10 gift coupon for every $100 you spend! smartpak.com/retailstore.

10 HERRING BROOK FARM SHOW, Pembroke. herringbrookfarm.com.

10 IEA HUNT SEAT SHOW, Mount Holyoke College Equestrian Center, South Hadley. rideiea.org.

10 IEA HUNT SEAT SHOW, Willow Brook Farm, Holliston. rideiea.org.

10 IEA HUNT SEAT SHOW, Harmony Horse Stables, Littleton. rideiea.org.

10 MARCY BAER DRESSAGE CLINIC, Martha’s Vineyard Community Horse Center, West Tisbury. mvhorsecenter.com.

10 FUN DAY HORSE SHOW, Rehoboth. facebook.com/SandyHollowStable.

12 WINTER DRESSAGE SCHOOLING SHOW, Camp Marshall, Spencer. campmarshall.net.

16 IEA HUNT SEAT SHOW, A Touch of Majic Equestrian Center, Pepperell. rideiea.org.

17 WNEPHA HUNTER SHOW, White Horse Hill, Richmond. wnepha.com.

17 CHRISTMAS AT THE FARM HOLIDAY MARKET AND OPEN HOUSE, Paso Fino Del Fuego, Middleboro. pasofinodelfuego.org.

29 WINTER JUMPER JUBILEE, Mount Holyoke College Equestrian Center, South Hadley. mhcriding.com.

January

6 IEA HUNT SEAT SHOW, Dana Hall School, Wellesley. rideiea.org.

6 IEA HUNT SEAT SHOW, Four Winds Farm, Oxford. rideiea.org.

6 NORTHEAST REGION 4-H HORSE BOWL AND HIPPOLOGY, Tewksbury. mass4h.org.

6 HERRING BROOK FARM SHOW, Pembroke. herringbrookfarm.com.

7 WINTER SCHOOLING SHOW, Camp Marshall, Spencer. campmarshall.net.

Lost in the Paperwork?

10 GASTRIC ULCERS: CAUSES AND CURES, Winter Equine Health Lecture Series, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine campus, North Grafton. ce.vet.tufts.edu/program/equinehealth-lecture-series-2018.

11 WNEPHA DRESSAGE SHOW, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley. wnepha.com.

13 JUMPER SHOW, Stoneleigh-Burnham School, Greenfield. sbschool.org.

17 IEA HUNT SEAT REGIONALS, Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley. rideiea.org.

20 – 21 GWYNETH MCPHERSON DRESSAGE CLINIC, RER Ponies, Hatfield. rerponies.com.

24 TACK SALE, Independence Stable, Belchertown. (413) 284-0371.

24 STRENGTHENING YOUR HORSE’S CORE, Winter Equine Health Lecture Series, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine campus, North Grafton. ce.vet.tufts.edu/program/equinehealth-lecture-series-2018.

28 WNEPHA HUNTER SHOW, Blythewood Stables, Pittsfield. wnepha.com.

28 WINTER DRESSAGE SCHOOLING SHOW, Camp Marshall, Spencer. campmarshall.net.

31 EQUINE UVEITIS, Winter Equine Health Lecture Series, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine campus, North Grafton. ce.vet.tufts. edu/program/equine-health-lecture-series-2018.

February

4 WINTER SCHOOLING SHOW, Camp Marshall, Spencer. campmarshall.net.

7 AN OWNER’S GUIDE TO EQUINE DENTISTRY, Winter Equine Health Lecture Series, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine campus, North Grafton. ce.vet.tufts.edu/program/equinehealth-lecture-series-2018.

10 NEHC YEAR-END BANQUET, Doubletree by Hilton, Milford. nehc.info.

Tack Sale - February 24 Rent a space in our heated indoor for just $15 with proceeds going to a local rescue.

2018 Dressage Schooling Shows April 7 . May 5 .

August 12 . Sept. 16 Check our Facebook page for updates!

404 S. Washington St. Belchertown, Mass.

(413) 284-0371 independencestablellc.com

Susan Rainville

Bookkeeping . Cash Flow Management Projections/Forecasting . Insurance Audits Liaison with Tax Professionals Obtaining Financing . Accounting Migrations Years of experience, many satisfied customers, references available.

Therapeutic Massage . Bodywork . Reiki

South Shore CFO

(413) 320-7690

Angelina Natale, President . Halifax, MA (339) 206-3005 . natale534@comcast.net

Independence Stable

Traditional & Western Dressage Tests

We provide stress-free accounting services!

On site and remote options available.

10 JUMPER SHOW, Stoneleigh-Burnham School, Greenfield. sbschool.org.

Recovery . Maintenance . Performance

jobunny@comcast.net

DRESSAGE

10 HOLIDAY FUN TACK TAG SALE, Heritage Farm, Easthampton. Heated indoor arena, booth space available, noon to 4 p.m. heritagefarmeasthampton.com.

Dressage Training from the Ground Up USDF bronze & silver medalist Centerline Scores three-star rider 16 years teaching & training

White Spruce Farms

Central Massachusetts (978) 257-4666 whitesprucefarms.com Massachusetts Horse

45

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Blue Dog Leather 64 South Shore Dr., Orange, Mass.

978.544.2681 bluedogleather.com Open by appointment, please call ahead.

46

December/January 2018

. . . Lend a Hoof from page 24

are and basically watch their backs. It gives foot patrol plenty of room to move. They don’t have to worry about what’s happening behind them.”

Bombproof When asked how he selects a potential horse for police work, Dan says, “In life there’s no such thing as what you might call a bombproof horse. But, when I’m looking for a new horse, initially, I’ll use the phrase ‘bombproof’ or ‘husband horse’ just to narrow it down. Someone told me once that what I’m calling bombproof in the horse world doesn’t exist. Because a person that’s advertising a horse for trail riding, what they consider bombproof is just that — good on the trail. On the street, a flag can be on a house and the horse needs to not think it will die from the flag [flapping]. My version of bombproof is bombproof!”

Many of the fireworks confiscated in Massachusetts around the Fourth of July end up being used to help police horses become accustomed to bright lights, flashes, and explosions, both during the day and at night. The horses are gradually introduced to smoke, strange odors, bangs, and booms. They’re kept at a distance and allowed the freedom to move and react. Over time, the horses, being ridden in pairs, are encouraged to move closer to the firework staging area, but only at a pace that is tolerable to them.

Eventually, the horses accept this as routine, looking to their rider to provide support and confidence.

Police horses are always set up to succeed. They’re taught to put their chests against sleds, ropes, cross-rails, and other barriers that are designed to yield. They’re coached to navigate confidently through obstacles like squeeze chutes, tents, bridges, water hazards, and so on. Most important, the horse is allowed to accept and overcome these challenges at the horse’s pace. “The horse always has to be set up to be the winner,” says Dan.

artillery during the Korean War. Tobias is owned by the town of Plymouth but lives there with the Sheriff’s department horses. There are other horses on the property, many of whom are retired, including 10 Thoroughbreds originally from Suffolk Downs. Their expenses are covered by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation. The Sheriff’s department is able to provide land and labor for the retirees and it turns out to be a win-win for the horses and their caretakers.

Providing Opportunity for Inmates Since the officers have other duties in addition to the mounted unit, inmates from the Plymouth County Correctional Facility are entrusted with the care of the horses. “We have four inmates who are currently assigned to the farm,” says Dan. “Every morning they participate in the feeding, bringing them to turnout, cleaning the stalls, and putting in new bedding.”

“The Sheriff’s department has made it very clear, though,” says Dan. “We’re not teaching guys to be farmers or farriers. What we are trying to reteach them, or sometimes for the first time, is that they have a responsibility.

They need to get up and go to work. So it’s just basically re-teaching work ethics — ‘these horses are counting on you.’ ”

A Day in the Life of a Police Horse “On a nonwork or nontraining day, the horses get fed at seven,” Amy says.

“Hooves get picked and they go out in their respective paddocks. They’re brought in around two and tucked in for the night.”

“On an event day, the horses are fed and washed,” she says. “While the horses are drying, the tack is laid out and the trailer is packed and set up.

Once the horses are dry, they’re brushed, tacked up, and loaded into the trailer to go to the event. When they’re brought back to the barn, they’re unloaded, and depending on weather, they get either a Vetrolin bath or a brushing, and put to bed with treats and love.”

The Farm Situated on 90 acres near the Plymouth County Courthouse, the Sheriff’s department has five police horses on the payroll as well as one horse owned by the town of Plymouth. Dan usually rides Batman, so named due to the tilt of his ears. Amy rides Reckless, a horse named after Sargent Reckless who was a famous military horse enrolled to move

Trip to Alabama In February of 2017, the Plymouth County Mounted Unit made a trip to Mobile, Alabama, for training. “They call the program the Mobile Police Mardi Gras Training School,” says Dan. “It’s basically ten days of training. The first few days prepare you for what’s going to be seen on the streets. It’s actu-

ally the Mobile Police who run it. This year, there were units from New York, New Jersey, Ohio, Mississippi, Texas, Florida, Georgia, and Massachusetts.”

The streets of Mobile serve as the final exam. Horse and rider teams who make it through the program work crowd control details during the actual Mobile Mardi Gras celebration. “You can never simulate those conditions of having from 100,000 to 300,000 people all yelling,” says Dan. “That’s what brought us down there. You can train all you want but you can never think of every scenario. You can [stage situations] and have the horse go in there but it’s not a real [situation]. It doesn’t have the same feel, and obviously, neither do I. When I’m training, I don’t want to step on anyone because they’re co-workers, friends, and trainers. But, in real life, if there’s an altercation and you have to do something, reactions are completely different, which the horse feels and reads.

Though it’s not always realistic when emotions are high, it's critical that the horse and I exercise the same control as much as possible in real life situations.

The Mobile Mounted Police training allows me to work on that.”

“During that time, there were parts (of my body) that I never knew I had that were sore,” says Dan. “I mean, being in the saddle for twelve, fourteen, sixteen hours a day, for consecutive days, it was something else. But what we got out of it, what the horses got out of it, you could never recreate. You receive so much from the experience that it makes it worth the trip.”

Who Rides Police Horses?

“Everyone who rides for our department is a Deputy Sheriff,” says Dan. “They have to go through the Reserve Academy and have the law enforcement training [first]. I got a phone call recently from someone who wanted to join the mounted unit. I said, ‘You have to work for the department first.’ They said, ‘Oh, but I ride horses. I’ve been riding for years.’ ” “Our approach to riding is different,” says Dan. “It’s not dressage. It’s not trail riding. It’s not hunt seat. We have different priorities. I mean, we do dressage-based [maneuvers] but everyone here is a law enforcement officer riding a horse. We don’t have the luxury of being horse people on patrol without appropriate training.”

“Because of the benefits a horse offers,” Dan says, “it’s a nice job. It really is. It’s nice in the summertime

Mill River

This Olde Horse

Have a photo for This Olde Horse? Email editor@mahorse.com.

A family out for a drive in Mill River, 1900.

anyway, not so nice in December, January, February, March if something goes on. It’s a lot windier at ten feet up than it’s on the ground.”

The Past and Present The holder of the reins for the entire department and champion of the mounted unit program, Plymouth County Sheriff Joe McDonald summarizes his feelings about his mounted police. “Police horses are a tradition and people really enjoy seeing them, but with all of today’s technology, some folks ask if mounted patrol units are a relic of the past. Those who ask that

question have never seen the horses and riders in action, Joe says. “For some of our most critical activities such as crowd control or search and rescue, horses outperform any and all modern methods, such as motorized vehicles, drones, you name it. They are today, every bit as effective as they ever were in the past.”

Rick Larsen lives in Marshfield and enjoys hanging out with his herd of four horses whom he considers family. A lifelong student, he writes to share things he learns in support of the horse.

Massachusetts Horse

47

the

neighborhood

ASSOCIATIONS •••••••••••••••••••••••••• BAY STATE TRAIL RIDERS ASSOCIATION bstra.org Keeping trails open for equestrian use; organized trail rides; volunteer opportunities for trail clearing and maintenance.

HAMPSHIRE COUNTY RIDING CLUB Goshen, MA, (413) 268-3372 hampshirecounty ridingclub.org Monthly trail rides, woodland obstacle course, scavenger hunt, and clinics.

BARN CATS •••••••••••••••••••••••••• PAWS WATCH P.O. Box 7005, Warwick, RI 02887 cats@pawswatch.org, pawswatch.org Barn cats need homes! Healthy, fixed, vaccinated barn cats provide rodent control. Delivered!

DRESSAGE •••••••••••••••••••••••••• BRADFORD EQUESTRIAN CENTER Haverhill, MA, (978) 374-0008 Dressage for all disciplines and driving.

Keith Angstadt, USEF dressage judge.

CATHY DRUMM Pittsfield, MA, (413) 441-5278 cathydrumm.com Clinics, lessons, training, western and English dressage, hunter/jumper.

MEG HILLY South Deerfield, MA, (802) 595-1258 mhilly@mtholyoke.edu USDF “L” judge; FEI rider; private, semiprivate lessons; clinics.

NANCY LATER LAVOIE Ashby, MA, (561) 714-7447 nancylaterdressagehorses.com Training, lessons, clinics. Accepting new students of all levels. Top-class facility.

WHITE SPRUCE FARMS New Braintree, MA, (978) 257-4666 whitesprucefarms.com Dressage shows, instruction, all levels/ages.

EQUINE DENTISTRY •••••••••••••••••••••••••• WENDY BRYANT, EQDT Northampton, MA, (413) 237-8887 wbryantnatrualbalancedentistry.com Natural balance equine dentistry.

Improved topline, maximized performance, increased flexion. Serving New England.

NORTHEAST EQUINE VETERINARY DENTAL SERVICES LEAH LIMONE, DVM Topsfield, MA, (978) 500-9293 nevds.com Licensed professional veterinary dentistry.

Routine preventive care, maintenance, diagnostics, extractions.

EQUINE ENTERTAINMENT •••••••••••••••••••••••••• DALE PERKINS/MESA FARM Rutland, MA, (508) 886-6898 daleperkinshorseshow.com Trick riding and much more.

48

December/January 2018

Your Everything Equine “white pages”

EQUINE MASSAGE •••••••••••••••••••••••••• EQUISSAGE NE/NY MA, CT, RI, (860) 564-7759 equisportmt@sbcglobal.net Integrated body work for performance horses: reiki, Masterson Method, sports and therapeutic massage, myofascial release, cranio-sacral therapy, infrared photon therapy.

HORSEBACK AND BODY Northampton, MA, (413) 320-7690 jobunny@comcast.net Massage therapy for horses, humans.

HAFLINGERS •••••••••••••••••••••••••• SOMMER HILL FARM Adams, MA, (413) 743-9301 sommerhaflingers@yahoo.com One Haflinger is never enough.

HORSES FOR SALE •••••••••••••••••••••••••• HERITAGE FARM Easthampton, MA, (413) 527-1612 farmheritage.com Auctions, sale horses, shows, clinics, boarding, lessons, and training.

STRAIN FAMILY HORSE FARM Granby, CT, (860) 653-3275 strainfamilyhorsefarm.com New England’s largest quality sales stable. Supplying NE with horses and ponies since 1967. Forty family, trail, and show horses to choose from. New loads every week. We buy horses, take trade-ins and consignment horses. Great three-weekexchange guarantee. Find us on Facebook.

INSTRUCTION/TRAINING •••••••••••••••••••••••••• BACK BAY FARM Ipswich, MA, (978) 356-0730 backbayfarm.com Lessons, boarding, training, and sales.

INSURANCE •••••••••••••••••••••••••• CORINTHIAN INSURANCE AGENCY Medway, MA, (877) 250-5103 corinthianequine.com Equine protection specialists.

DON RAY INSURANCE Marshfield, MA, (781) 837-6550 donrayinsurance.com Farm, mortality, major medical and surgical, clubs, shows, instructors.

FARM FAMILY INSURANCE farmfamily.com Carver: (508) 866-9150 Easthampton: (413) 203-5180 Great Barrington: (413) 528-1710 Marlborough: (508) 485-3800 Middleborough: (508) 747-8181 Northborough: (508) 393-9327 Norwood: (781) 255-2002 South Deerfield: (413) 665-8200 Southwick: (413) 569-2307 Topsfield: (978) 887-8304 Westford: (978) 467-1001 Williamstown: (413) 458-5584 Worcester: (508) 752-3300

JUDGES •••••••••••••••••••••••••• MARY BRAZIE Egremont, MA, (413) 528-2367 arabpinto13@yahoo.com Judging open, 4-H, carded; lessons.

ED GOLEMBESKI Gill, MA, (413) 863-2313 riker119@comcast.net 4-H, open shows, clinics, lessons.

NORWEGIAN FJORDS •••••••••••••••••••••••••• BLUE HERON FARM Charlemont, MA, (413) 339-4045 blueheronfarm.com Quality, purebred registered Fjords.

PHOTOGRAPHY •••••••••••••••••••••••••• KAREN MORANG PHOTOGRAPHY Find us on Facebook.

Equine photography and events.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MELISSA North Dighton, MA, (508) 863-0467 melissaroot.com Equine portrait photography and events.

REAL ESTATE •••••••••••••••••••••••••• ALTHEA BRAMHALL HOMETOWN REALTORS North Quabbin region, (617) 678-9300 althearealtor@gmail.com Real estate is more fun with horse people!

EQUINE HOMES REAL ESTATE LLC MA and NH, (800) 859-2745, ext. 704 equinehomes.com sally@equinehomes.com Sally Mann, Realtor, MA and NH. BERNICE GIARD REALITY Oakham, MA, (508) 882-3900 oakham@charter.net Country properties.

STABLES, FARMS, BOARDING •••••••••••••••••••••••••• CARRIER’S FARM Southampton, MA, (413) 527-0333 rcarrier0333@gmail.com Indoor, outdoor arenas, round pens, fields.

GLENCROFT FARM Southampton, MA, (413) 527-8026 kraymond24@hotmail.com Boarding, pastures, ring, trails, fields.

STRAIN FAMILY EQUESTRIAN CENTER LLC Southwick, MA, (413) 569-5797 strainfamilyequestrian.com Boarding, lessons, training, sales, therapeutic riding.

TACK •••••••••••••••••••••••••• CHESHIRE HORSE Swanzey, NH, (877) 358-3001 cheshirehorse.com English, western, feed, supplies, trailers.

DR. COOK BITLESS BRIDLE (866) 235-0938 bitlessbridle.com Safe, gentle, effective alternative to using a bit.

SMARTPAK RETAIL STORE Natick, MA, (508) 651-0045 smartpak.com/retailstore Tack, equipment, supplements, blankets, apparel, gear, gifts, clearance outlet.

TRANSPORTATION •••••••••••••••••••••••••• J.R. HUDSON HORSE TRANSPORTATION West Bridgewater, MA, (508) 427-9333 jrhudsonhorsetrans.com Serving the lower 48 states and Canada.

VETERINARIANS •••••••••••••••••••••••••• FAMILY VETERINARY CENTER Haydenville, MA, (413) 268-8387 famvets.com Traditional and alternative care for dogs, cats, exotics, and horses.

SOUTH DEERFIELD VETERINARY CLINIC DR. ROBERT P. SCHMITT S. Deerfield, MA, (413) 665-3626 sdvc@aol.com Equine medicine, surgery since 1969.

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Massachusetts Horse

49

Karen Morang Photography

Is This Your Horse?

Now Accepting Boarders 20,000-square-foot Facility!

Horse Leases Available partial $275/mo., half $400/mo., full $525/mo.

Is this your horse?

This photo was taken at the Massachusetts Horse Benefit Adventure Trail in Wilbraham. If this is your horse, contact us at win@mahorse.com for a month’s supply of SmartPaks and more from the Bay State’s very own SmartPak, smartpakequine.com, and a two-year subscription to Massachusetts Horse.

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srhvets.com 50

December/January 2018

Isabella Mawhinney won the Massachusetts Horse Junior Horsemanship Award at the Massachusetts Horsemen’s Council’s (MHC) Classic Pleasure Finals in September at Briggs Stable in Hanover. “This year we received many nominations but what struck us most about Isabella, along with her being a true role model, is that she volunteers at a nonprofit horse rescue,” says Felicia Knowles, MHC co-vice president.

Massachusetts Horse gives back to our community through its Junior Horsemanship Award program.

The award is given to the junior exhibitor who has shown the best horsemanship and sportsmanship at a competition in the Bay State. This is the junior who is not winning, but who is working hard with a great attitude.

This junior is taking good care of her horse, cheering on her friends, and helping others.

Want to give out a free Massachusetts Horse Junior Horsemanship Award at your upcoming event? Visit mahorse.com/junior-awards. These awards are made possible by Stephanie Sanders, Massachusetts Horse publisher, and Absorbine.

Amherst Farmer’s Supply 320 Pleasant St., Amherst (413) 253-3436 amherstfarmerssupply.com A.W. Brown Pet & Garden Center 144 Shaker Rd., E. Longmeadow (413) 525-2115 . awbrown.com Bernardston Farmer’s Supply 43 River St., Bernardston (413) 648-9311 bernardstonfarmerssupply.com

Brattleboro Agway 1277 Putney Rd., Brattleboro, VT (802) 254-8757 . achilleagway.com

Dodge Grain Company 59 N. Broadway, Salem, NH (603) 893-3739 . dodgegrain.biz

Bridgewater Farm Supply 1000 Plymouth St., Bridgewater (508) 697-0357 . bridgewaterfarm.com

Essex County Co-op 146 S. Main St., Topsfield (978) 887-2309 essexcountycoop.net

Country Corral 35 Main St., Williamsburg (413) 268-0180 . countrycorralonline.com

Hardwick Farmers Co-op Exchange Rte. 32, Gilbertville . (413) 477-6913 hardwickfarmers.net

Hoosac Valley Coal and Grain 2 Gavin Ave., Adams (413)743-0163 hoosacvalleycoalandgrain.com Sweet Meadow Feed & Grain 111 Coolidge St., Sherborn (508) 650-2926 sweetmeadowfeedandgrain.com Thibault’s Poultry 92 N. Spencer Rd. Spencer (508) 612-1907 Massachusetts Horse

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PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID BRIDGEPORT, CT PERMIT

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It takes more than luck to get you there safely.

Horse owners from throughout New England and beyond have counted on Orchard Trailers for more than 27 years to provide some of the safest, most reliable trailers available. If you’re a past customer, we welcome you to visit again and see what’s new in the trailer world. If you’re new to Orchard, or to horse trailers in general, our experienced staff is ready to help you find the right trailer for you and your horse.

Kingston Classic Elite Two Horse Straight Load with Dressing Room

Adam Pro Classic 2 + 1 Gooseneck Three Horse with Side Ramp and Dressing Room

Largest inventory of horse trailers in the Northeast!

orchardtrailers.com | info@orchardtrailers.com | (413) 665-7600 | (800) 998-8779 78 State Road, Whately, MA 01093 Financing Available!