New York Horse: Winter 2016-17

NEW YORK HORSE WINTER 2016/17

STORIES. ADVICE. HORSEPLAY.

Embrace Winter 5 COOL THINGS TO DO WHILE THE SNOW FLIES

Photo secrets from The Artful Horse Trusting Bonds

$4.99

NYHorseMag.com

PLUS

Healing horses repair both body and soul

EQ STYLE THROWS AN EQ-WINE PARTY

IS THE SADDLE TO BLAME FOR LAMENESS

HORSE HEALTH TIPS TO OUTWIT MURPHY’S LAW

RIDE BETTER: THE COFFEE CARRIER PARADIGM

In association with the NYS Center for Equine Business Development

Canterbury Stables

A premier riding, training and boarding facility All amenities for you and your horse … Warm and welcoming

At Canterbury Stables, we’re passionate about excellence. Set on 225 rolling acres in the heart of Cazenovia’s horse country, Canterbury offers the finest in hunter/jumper and dressage lessons in a family-friendly atmosphere. We are dedicated to providing quality lessons tailored to each rider’s age, level and goals and the boarding, care and training of performance and pleasure horses

Where Your Journey is Our Destination

Canterbury Stables, 4786 Roberts Road, Cazenovia, NY • Online: www.canterburystablesny.com • Call: 315-440-2244

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Features 35

The Healing Horse

“That’s the thing about horses,” as Robert Redford says. “They connect in ways that often, words can’t capture but hearts can.”

36

The Road Ahead

In long-distance riding, a cornerstone of equine therapy found her own cure

40

From Stable to School

SUNY Cobleskill offers new therapeutic horsemanship degree

41

Amazing Grace

Reining and a very special horse help a 9/11 survivor reclaim her life

45

Personal Ponies

These helping hooves show it’s only the size of the heart that matters

49

The Artful Horse

Photography, like riding, requires skill, dedication and discipline

25

A wintry mix of four equine — and one eq-wine — ideas

Maybe horses can’t ski, but that’s no reason to hibernate until spring 2 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

The Show Trunk II

Equestrian style for your ride. Fashion for your life!

Join us for our 5th Anniversary and Gala Open House Dec 3 & 4 Food. Fun. Friends. Fabulous Sales & Gifts. Make a Wish List & Have Your Wishes Come True.

PHOTOS AT THE SHOW TRUNK II BY SANDI CANNELLOS

10% off for IEA & IHSA members and Professionals Stacy Lowe-Jonas, Hugh Jonas 2335 Dryden Road (Route 13) Dryden, NY 13053 607-227-2538

Showroom Open: Monday, Thursday & Friday 11 am — 6 pm Saturday & Sunday 10 am — 5pm www.TheShowTrunk2.com Follow us on Facebook

TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Guide 55 56 58 59 61

Better Horsemanship

Hot coffee is the inspiration for this cool riding tip Solid Footing

Recognize the signs: Ill-fitting tack might be the cause of lameness 60-Second Clinic

One sentence is all that’s needed to improve everything House Calls

Are you prepared for a horse health emergency?

Informed Equestrian

Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a bad experience selling a horse

Departments

60

Expert Advice

Listen to the world’s top riders: Don’t sweat what you can’t control

On the Cover

Ace and Jake perfectly capture our thoughts this season: Don’t fight winter, get outside and play in it. The half-brothers were caught by photographer Amy Tolbert horsing around in the snow at their home, Jim Kehoe’s JK Percherons in Moravia. Check out more of the boys’ exploits – Ace was a superstar regular at the State Fair’s World of Horses tent – on Facebook and at jkpercherons.com.

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6 8 11 12 14 16 18 20 22 64

Jump Start Editor’s Note Thanks To Our Underwriters Calendar

It’s winter, but there are still goings-on; Roadtrip heads to Hamburg for WNY Equifest Leg Up

News, Notes and Conversation Starters Guest Column

‘The role of the judge is simply to judge’ Update

The Horse Soldier comes home to Ground Zero Off the Beaten Path

Take an Adirondack trek through Pharaoh Lake Wilderness Armchair Equestrian

Don’t let your ‘Lizard Brain’ grab the reins Parting Shot

An image forged from fire, water and steel

JUMP START

‘”She

was stronger than a storm.

It was just air and snowflakes.

She was a horse.”

— Jessie Hass, Snow Day

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Our motto this winter: Laughing all the way!

(I swear I am not making this up)

B

ecause of the way magazines work, I am writing this on a late summer day so warm that typing in a bathing suit seems like a reasonable approach to work.

Winter seems improbable, if not impossible.

But the hummingbirds have fled New York for southerly charms, and already this thought is flickering like headlights off of lake-effect snow: How can 4 grams of feathers, with a brain smaller than a pea, be so much smarter than me?

I have a long-standing rocky relationship with winter. It was born in countless hours spent with colicky horses in frigid barns. (Not once did they ever get a bellyache on a warm night, lightly laced with a delightfully refreshing breeze.)

8 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

It was nurtured over years shoveling frozen manure for ungrateful horses; digging ice from frozen water buckets for ungrateful horses; and, one never-to-be-forgotten winter, snow-shoeing to the barn to feed the aforementioned ungrateful horses.

And so, every year, usually in February – a month that is typically notable only for inspiring assorted “D” words like dank, dismal and dreary – my husband and I have a conversation that goes something like this …

Me: How about starting “Virgin Islands Horse?”

Him: I’m not certain, but I don’t think there’s more than one horse in the Virgin Islands.

Me: But think of all the coverage he’ll get.

Him: No. Me: How about “Bahamas Horse?”

This winter, however, New York Horse is declaring a seasonal truce.

Embrace winter, this issue argues, and we are taking up the banner. We will host an EQ Style-inspired party, visit some of New York’s great (indoor) equine destinations, and vow that just because the horses have grown plump and shaggy, that we do not have to follow suit. (This will be the year that our riding clothes do not magically shrink in the closet while we are not looking, requiring us – come spring – to ask Spandex to stretch in ways that Spandex was never meant to do.)

Learn how to make an herbal coat supplement for your horse, take a sleigh ride, or hone your photographic skills. However you pass the time – even if it’s just settling in for a long winter’s nap – make it memorable.

Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good ride!

Janis

SPOTLIGHT

Renée K. Gadoua

N

ew York Horse Contributing Editor Renée K. Gadoua has been telling stories all her life.

“As a child, I would set up my stuffed pals, assign them roles, histories and motivations,” she writes on her website storiesbyrenee.com. “And from a young age, I had to be forced to go out and play rather than curl up in my favorite cubby and read stories.”

Her love of the written word led Renée first to a career as a newspaper editor and writer, working for nearly 25 years with The Post-Standard. In this next chapter of her life, Renée is a successful freelance writer and editor, whose work has won local, state and national honors.

She writes about Alice Root, one of the pioneers of equine therapy in Upstate New York, in this issue of NYH. She also has written about the Thoroughbred program at Morrisville College and ParaDressage champion Mary Jordan. “I have a soft spot for those whose voices typically get drowned out,” Renée notes. She is a frequent contributor to the Syracuse New Times and CNY Good Life magazine, and a correspondent for Religion News Service whose stories have appeared in the Washington Post and Huffington Post.

An active community volunteer, Renée holds leadership positions with Girls Incorporated, the YWCA and the Syracuse Chorale.

Give the Gift of Good Reading and Good Riding

NEW YORK HORSE Editor & Publisher Janis Barth editor@nyhorsemag.com

UNDERWRITING SUPPORT

New York Horse is published in part with underwriting support from: Canterbury Stables; Cazenovia College and the New York State Center for Equine Business Development; Nye Auto Group; Blue Ocean Strategic Capital, LLC; Sundman Stables; New York State Fair; The Beattie Sanctuary; Madison County Tourism; Morrisville State College; New York Farm Bureau; Central New York Dressage and Combined Training Association; Central New York Reining Horse Association; From The Ground Up Therapeutic Horsemanship and New York State Horse Council.

PRESENTATION

Art Director Darren Sanefski dasanefs@go.olemiss.edu

EDITORIAL Contributing Editor Renée K. Gadoua Nikki Alvin-Smith Renee K. Gadoua Emily Garavuso

Contributing Writers Capt. Eric Hudson Katie Navarra Steve Kraus Margaret McCormick Ray Whelihan

Contributing Photographers Jessica Berman Fred J. Brown Jr. Tony Parkes David Blatchley Jim Gillies Megan Stapley Arnd Bronkhorst Richard Juilliart Amy Tolbert

ADVERTISING

Advertising Director Peter K. Barth advertising@nyhorsemag.com

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A 1-year subscription, From show jumping to trail riding, reining to four issues, is $12. dressage, we cover it all with unbridled passion 10 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

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All material submitted to the magazine becomes the property of Tremont8 Media. Submitted material may be excerpted or edited for length and content and may be published or used in any format or medium, including online or in other print publications.

To subscribe: Write to New York Horse, P.O. Box 556, Cazenovia, NY 13035. Subscriptions are $12/year. Please include your name and address and a check or money order for the full amount. For gift subscriptions, include the name and address of each recipient and we will send a card in your name.

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A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR

NEW YORK HORSE UNDERWRITERS Canterbury Stables W O R L D

C L A S S ,

M I N U T E S

A W A Y

Address: 4786 Roberts Road, Cazenovia Phone: 315-440-2244 • Email: info@canterburystablesny.com

NEW YORK STATE CENTER FOR EQUINE BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

One Strong Voice for the Future of Horses Join today at: www. nyshc.org

Promoting the sport of Reining through shows, clinics and educational seminars

“… Engaging the power of the horse to motivate, teach and heal.”

Webber Road, New Woodstock

(315) 662-3000

LEG UP: CALENDAR NOVEMBER 19-27 Starting Nov. 15

Holiday Open House and sale at Jack’s Turf Goods, 6 Ruth Street, Vernon. “12 Neighs of Christmas” on Facebook. More information: jacksturfgoods.com.

Every Tuesday, “Riders Yoga” class at Voltra Farm, Verona.

Classes start at 5:45 p.m.; cost is $10 per person, per session. RSVP’s not necessary, but requested. More information: voltrafarm.com.

24-Feb. 2 30 DECEMBER 3-4 4 4 4

Horses for the Holidays campaign collects new and used supplies to support horses and owners across Central New York. Info or aid at: thehavenatskanda.org

Painting for the Horses fundraiser for Sunshine Horses, 6:30-9 p.m. at Pizzeria Uno, Clay. More information: sunshinehorses.org.

Holiday Open House at The Show Trunk II, 2335 Dryden Road (Route 13), Dryden.

Refreshments and something for every equestrian. More information: theshowtrunk2.com

Begin Again Horse Rescue 7th annual fundraising brunch and silent auction, 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Lima Golf and Country Club. More information: beginagainrescue.org

Fairway Farms Sprint Series horse show with classes for hunter over fences, equitation, and under saddle. At the farm, Fairway Drive, Westmoreland. More information on their Facebook page.

Holiday with the Horses fundraiser, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to benefit Finger Lakes Thoroughbred Adoption Program. Baked goods and gift items for sale; take a picture with Santa and an equine elf. FLTAP Purple Haze Center, Farmington. More information: fltap.org

13 JANUARY 3-7

National Day of the Horse. It was established by Congress in 2004, and this is one government proclamation we can all get behind. Celebrate by giving your favorite equine a treat!

Upstate’s Olympian, Beezie Madden, trains the next generation of riders at the George H. Morris Horsemastership clinic in Wellington, FL. No, you can’t participate – but you can audit the sessions free of charge (not counting airfare and hotel). More information: usef.org

To submit events for the New York Horse Calendar, in print and online, send an email to: nyhorsemag@gmail.com.

15-Feb. 15

Northeast Breeders Trust Stallion Auction, held by CNY Reining Horse Association. Proceeds are placed in the NEBT Fall Futurity held at the CNYRHA Fall Classic in Syracuse. More information: cnyrha.com

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LEG UP: ROAD TRIP

Come ‘Celebrate the Horse’ at Western New York Equifest

W

estern New York Equifest is back for another two-day run at the Hamburg Fairgrounds to pull every Upstate equestrian out of their end-of-winter doldrums.

The show spans a full weekend, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 18, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 19. “Celebrate the Horse” is EquiFest’s invitation and the lineup promises to do just that: A full slate of demonstrations and presentations is scheduled, with topics covering all breeds and disciplines, as well as good horsekeeping, health care and practical advice.

In addition to the dozens of programs

in the main show arena and theater, there are more than 100 vendors packing the Showplex and Agricultural Discovery Center at the Fairgrounds, 5600 McKinley Parkway, Hamburg.

Look for educational information and the opportunity to buy everything equestrian from trucks and trailers to artwork, custom saddles and hand-made chocolate. Learn about equine degree programs and recreational opportunities, and about the work of the NYS Horse Council.

For a complete schedule and more information, visit the WNY Equifest website at wnyequifest.com.

“If you don’t have time, don’t ride.

You need talent, but you also need patience.

You must see the horse like a best friend, not a machine.”

GEORGE THEODORESCU

At Voltra Farm, we are committed to a friendly and welcoming environment for horse and rider to feel happy and invited to learn the art of Classical Dressage.

Our trainers, Carel Eijkenaar and Michelle La Barre follow George Theodorescu’s classical system of training that has stood the test of time.

They share, with owner Carin Mei, a commitment to keeping the balance between challenging horse and rider and allowing them the time needed to grow into their potential.

6000 Rock Road, Verona NY • Phone 315-723-0277 • www.voltrafarm.com NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 13

Leg Up

News, Notes and Conversation Starters Skaneateles teen places in Top 10 at Maclay finals

High tech horse: try this new app

Madison Goetzmann of Skaneateles claimed ninth place in the prestigious ASPCA Maclay National Championship. The Maclay, which includes two rounds over fences and one flat phase, is the year’s most highly sought-after prize in equitation for junior riders.

Goetzmann rode Contelido, a 10-year-old she describes as “straightforward.” She told Phelps Sports it’s important for all riders to practice equitation because it “creates the basis for the American style of riding.”

The Maclay, part of the CP National Horse Show, began with 175 riders. What separated the top competitors, said judge Diane Carney: “The straight connection and the balance in the air.”

Interested in an equine degree but don’t know where to start? Matching students to the right college is the idea behind a new app called Equine Academics.

The app is a free download that organizes all of the academic options in one package. It links to the Equine Education Network, a searchable online database of college offerings. The EEN identifies the equine-related program(s) at each institution and provides a direct link to the program if one is available.

Equine Academics also has a Saddle Up NY! channel that includes tack shops, equine activities, and places to take lessons and/or board horses.

To upload, search for Equine Academics in the app store, scan the QR code on this page, or go to: bit.ly/EquineAcademicsAppDownload.

Meet NY’s Horseperson of the Year

NY Names in the News

Lori Northrup, president of the Parelli Foundation Board of Directors, has been named the New York State Horse Council’s 2016 Horseperson of the Year.

“I just do what I love to do,” said Northrup, of Ellicottville. “So being recognized for that is really icing on the cake when it comes to my work with horses and natural horsemanship.”

Naomi Blumenthal, superintendent of the NYS Fair Horse Show and executive treasurer of the IHSA, will serve as judge for the College Preparatory Invitational in Texas.

Mary Drueding, head coach of the St. Lawrence University riding team, will judge the College Preparatory Invitational winter horse show in Florida.

Marjorie Yeager, a Cazenovia College alum, is the new Zone Three Administrator of the Interscholastic Equestrian Association. Yeager graduated with a degree in Equine Business Management.

Jo-Anne Young, director of the equestrian program at Houghton College received the NYS Horse Council’s 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Young is president of the Western New York Dressage Association.

Horse Council President Stephen Ropel described Northrup as someone who “encourages horsemen and women to be lifelong learners when it comes to working with horses.”

PHOTO BY JIM GILLIES

The Morrisville State College yearling sale closed its books with 81 Standardbreds selling for a total of $1.1 million – an average of $13,656 per horse. The top-selling yearling was Thunderman, consigned

by Lakeview Equine of West Eaton, who hammered down at $55,000. The sale is organized and run by Morrisville’s Equine Department faculty, staff and students. Profits support the equine programs.

14 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

Morrisville State College

Harness your career at

Morrisville State College

• Largest breeding program in the Northeast • State-of-the-art Equine Rehabilitation Center • The only half-mile standardbred racetrack on a college campus in the nation • Diverse programs with options in: Equine Science, Breeding, Rehabilitation, Racing, Draft /Driving, Hunt Seat, Western and Business Management an equal-opportunity institution

Learn more about our leading and diverse equine programs online at www.morrisville.edu.

LEG UP: GUEST COLUMN

An open letter to competitors

‘The judge is not there to provide a riding clinic, teach riding, or to decide on the suitability of rider to horse to level’

C

By Ray Whelihan ompetition aids the rider in setting short- and long-term goals and serves to provide standards of excellence. Competitions provide an unbiased viewpoint from the judge that riders can use as a basis to redefine and refine their goals.

The judge’s job is to identify strengths and areas for improvement in the rider’s skill, providing an experience to help the rider orient their practice toward reaching high standards. The judge is limited, however, with placing the class in order, from first to sixth. The first place exhibitor simply has demonstrated a closer approximation of reaching the standard than the other riders in the ring.

The first place exhibitor may in fact not be very close to the standard and may have some glaring fundamental faults.

Copying exactly what that rider is doing, or concluding that the rider’s performance is exactly what the judge is looking for, would be a perilous leap in logic.

The role of the judge is simply to judge. The role the riding

16 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

instructor plays at competition is to select an appropriate level for their student to compete, prepare the rider on an appropriate horse, and translate the judge’s placings to their rider’s objectives and goals. The judge is not there to provide a riding clinic, teach riding, or to decide on the suitability of rider to horse to level. It is inappropriate for a competitor to ask such things of a judge.

When asked questions by a parent that really should be asked of their riding instructor, I smoothly (sometimes) avoid the question as I have only seen a brief snapshot in time and do not live with the horse and student on a daily basis. I do not second guess the instructor; I hope that my judging helps them in developing future lessons.

The ultimate goal of hunt seat riding is to prepare the rider to safely hack out over rolling meadows, wooded paths and dirt roads, jumping coops and walls and crossing water, with enjoyment and reverence to the horse. When I canter across a field toward a coop, my horse has a balanced, rhythmic canter with energy, ears pricked forward, poll well above the withers and nose in front of the vertical, with a soft contact with the bridle. The moment of suspension in the canter is clear, with an expression of relaxed attentiveness, interest and enjoyment.

I judge hunter classes with that mental image in mind.

When judging a hunter under saddle class, I look primarily for quality of movement, noting soundness of limb and wind, in a reasonably well behaved horse. The horse will stretch down yet maintain energy and lightness, avoiding at all costs lethargic, impure gaits. In other words, the same quality of gaits I would use on a warm-up hack to a hunt meet. A horse who displays freshness without real disobedience is not penalized. Freshness comes with athleticism and quality care. Dullness and lack of interest, however, is very much penalized. When I judge a pleasure class, I emphasize behavior over athleticism, still noting soundness of limb and wind, and valuing quality.

Hunter seat equitation is judged on correctness of the rider’s position with posture and feel; the ability to define appropriate pace and track; and to maintain a regular rhythm in an effective yet unobtrusive and soft manner. A good friend of mine says “ride your horses so your horses like you.” A rider’s ability to affect the horse while working in concert, without argument, is paramount.

Balance of the horse in motion is certainly important, however, it is a result of the rider’s correct position and attention to pace, track, and regularity of rhythm. As hunt seat riding is designed as forward riding through the countryside, knowledge of pace is important. Most horses, but not all, need to be asked for a more forward walk, an ordinary trot, and a quieter, more regular canter.

The rider’s ability to identify and adjust the horse’s pace at each gait is a significant factor.

Equitation classes assume the rider is mounted on a suitable and well-educated horse. A lowerlevel equitation rider would be expected to be developing their ability in position, pace, track and rhythm while riding a well-behaved horse with less

athleticism and less engine. An upper-level equitation rider would be expected to have established correct position with greater feel, pay attention to the right things – pace, track, rhythm – and coordinate their aids in concert with the horse without clashing, resulting in greater balance through the shape of the horse’s posture traveling fluidly on the bit.

Riding in horse shows constitutes a performance, so showmanship must be factored in. Riders should have a natural expression relating focus, attention, and confidence. Scowls are unwelcome, fake smiles even more so. Just focus pleasantly, enjoy yourself and compete.

Riders should enter the ring engaged and correct from the first step.

Sauntering around until the announcer says “all walk” is no way to make a winning impression. The rider’s ability to sit quietly, in pleasant concert with the horse, is vital. Excessive motion and aids result in static in the connection of rider to horse, and communication is lost. Hall of Fame thoroughbred trainer Charlie Whittingham once said that the reason Willie Shoemaker was successful as a jockey was that he could do less ... better than anyone else.

One of my favorite quotes comes from a short story written by Rudyard Kipling. “A rider needs to learn to do three things … to sit still, to sit still, and to keep sitting still.”

One of the things that makes riding special is that the rider must manage their own emotions while managing the horse’s

emotions. Competing only heightens this experience. As riders develop their horsemanship, they develop their ability to remain in neutral when necessary, to soothe the wild beast as needed, and to provide motivation to the horse at appropriate times.

Developing that depth in one’s horsemanship is part of the enjoyment in a rider’s education.

The early and mid-season horse shows represent a quiz, providing feedback to the rider on their skill development.

Year-end shows I think of as kind of a test, finding that result that gives the rider a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment.

In any event, what is paramount is the rider’s relationship and experience with the horse. One of the reasons I enjoyed judging the 4-H at the State Fair this year was that the vast majority of the riders clearly enjoyed their horses. Some of the horses were worth about $10, some a whole lot more, but each child really enjoyed their horse for what they were.

It is my belief that the value of one’s life can be judged by the quality of one’s relationships. The relationship a rider has with their horse is the real litmus test, and those competitors passed with flying colors!

‘The role of the judge is simply to judge’

Ray Whelihan is associate professor in the equine program at SUNY Cobleskill and head coach of the IHSA hunt seat team. He is a judge at regional hunt seat shows and the hunt seat portion of the NYS Fair’s 4-H Show.

LEG UP: HOMEWARD BOUND

The Horse Soldier stands watch over Ground Zero Bronze monument honors Special Forces who rode into battle after 9/11

By Capt. Eric Hudson

T

he Horse Soldier has a permanent home.

The 16-foot-tall bronze statue depicts a Special Operations soldier riding into battle in Afghanistan after the 9/11 attacks – the first time US troops used horses in combat since 1942. It is to those Special Forces commandos who fought in the early days of Operation Enduring Freedom that The Horse Soldier is dedicated.

The statue is also titled “De Oppresso Liber” – To Free the Oppressed – the

18 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

motto of the Army Special Forces. On its base is a simple, three-word inscription: “America’s Response Monument.”

The horse soldiers were part of Task Force Dagger – a joint Special Operations team of Green Berets from the 5th Special Forces Group, aircrew members from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne), and Air Force Combat Controllers – that played an important role in the defeat of the Taliban regime that had harbored Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan.

In September, members of Task Force Dagger gathered at the sculpture’s new home in Liberty Park, overlooking the Ground Zero Memorial in lower Manhattan, to re-dedicate the monument and remember their actions in the wake of 9/11.

HEROISM FORGED IN BRONZE A short film by Alex Quade about the mission to Afghanistan and the creation of The Horse Soldier statue, is on YouTube.

Watch Horse Soldiers of 9/11, narrated by actor Gary Sinise, at: youtube. com/watch?v=DLPMeFlj0G4.

“In mid-October 2001, as the nation watched from their living rooms and their couches, their board rooms, their offices and from the streets,” said Vic McGowan, a spokesperson for the United War Veterans Council, “members of Task Force Dagger rode through the mountains of Afghanistan and we were once again reminded of our great American spirit.”

It was a dangerous mission. The U.S. Special Forces were on the ground in Afghanistan within weeks of the 9/11 attacks to begin the war against the Taliban. Despite all the high-tech gear at their disposal, it was the use of horses that proved pivotal in crossing the rugged terrain. The mounted troops became known as the “horse soldiers.”

Army Major Mark Nutch, who served as a ground commander for a group of Green Berets known as ODA 595, said the Special Operations Forces worked with Afghan Tribes of the Northern Alliance to fight the Taliban. “Together we were hunted by a common enemy,” he said.

The Horse Soldier statue, which commemorates these actions, was formally dedicated in 2011.

Commissioned by a group of anonymous businessmen, it was created by sculptor Douwe Blumberg, a horse trainer and military history buff. Dedicating the statue, Vice President Joe Biden said of the men it honors: “The courage of the first into battle … is what guarantees the courage of those that follow.”

First located at Two World Financial Center, The Horse Soldier was largely hidden by the clutter and fences surrounding the ongoing construction at the site. Its new home, fittingly, is an elevated space on the south side of Ground Zero.

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Off the Beaten Path Pharaoh Lake Wilderness offers riders two roads less taken Editor’s Note: New York’s state parks, forests, wildlife preserves and private properties beckon riders of all abilities and interests. A diverse terrain awaits, from stone-dust paths and rolling hills to rugged mountains and wilderness lakes. Get out there and ride!

T

he Pharaoh Lake Wilderness hugs the eastern edge of the Adirondack Forest Preserve, its wooded heart abundant with lakes and ponds. Tucked between Schroon Lake and Ticonderoga, these public parklands are a rarity: Its 46,283 acres are open all year for recreation, including two designated horse trails.

Sucker Brook Trail is the more challenging of the two, a seesaw ride through wild forest for 7.5 miles from the Adirondack Trailhead to the outlet of Pharaoh Lake. The trail ascends 510 feet in the first four miles from the trailhead. It then descends 375 feet in 0.5 mile before climbing 300 feet in 0.9 mile. In the last 20 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

1.5 miles, the trail descends 150 feet, climbs 140 feet, and then descends a final 160 feet to the outlet. Make sure your horse is conditioned for rugged terrain.

Pharaoh Lake Trail crosses gentler but no less scenic terrain for 3.3 miles, extending from the Pharaoh Lake Road Trailhead to the outlet of Pharaoh Lake.

The trail ascends 235 feet from Mill Brook for 1.1 miles, but gently rises and falls at either end.

The two trails connect at the outlet of Pharaoh Lake, at 441 acres one of the largest lakes in the Adirondacks completely surrounded by Forest Preserve lands. Bring your fishing pole and angle for brook trout, lake trout, brown bullhead and sunfish. The trails can be combined for a 10.8 mile, oneway ride but take note: Horses must ford Pharaoh Lake Brook, just south of the outlet bridge, to reach the other trail.

Start here: The wilderness straddles the Essex County-Warren County line.

The Adirondack Trailhead Parking Area is located at the end of Blair Road off Johnson Road. The Pharaoh Lake Road

Trailhead Parking Area is located at the end of Pharaoh Road off Beaver Pond Road.

Keep an eye out for: The Schroon Lake region was settled in the 1790s and by the late 1800s had become a flourishing resort community. Sawmills were operating as early as 1830, and remnants of these former mill sites can be seen at the outlet of Pharaoh Lake.

You might encounter: All lands within the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness are open to hunting and trapping, so riders might come upon others using the trails. The boreal and bog landscape is home to white-tailed deer and black bear, at least 140 species of birds, including the threatened osprey and red-shouldered hawk, and small game like snowshoe hare.

Nerd alert: The Pharaoh Lake Wilderness is situated in the central highlands region of the Adirondack massif (a compact portion of a mountain range, containing one or more summits.)

The bedrock is Precambrian, formed over a billion years ago.

Required papers: Bring a current negative Coggins certificate and proof of rabies vaccination. Out-of-state horse owners will be required to produce a 30day health certificate.

Open: Year-round Fee: Use of the trail and all facilities is free Contact Information: Pharaoh Lake is under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Environmental Conservation office in Warrensburg.

Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Monday-Friday. Phone 518-623-1200.

Be prepared: Sign in at trail registers and carry a cell phone on you, not your horse. That way if you part company with your horse, you have the phone.

(We did mention you might encounter deer, bear, etc.) In case of emergency call 518-891-0235 or 911.

Be respectful: Public lands in the Adirondacks are protected as “Forever Wild.” Ride only on designated horse trails and don’t tie horses to live trees.

HANNAY FARM

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Buying and selling quality show horses. Boarding with indoor arena and daily turnout.

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Don’t let your ‘Lizard Brain’ take over when you’re riding

60-SECOND CLINIC You feel like you’re going to fall off your horse and you tense up and lean forward. It’s wrong, but you do it anyway. Why? The answer is survival, writes author Andrea Waldo. “Babies are born with very few fears, but one of them is the fear of falling. Humans are born with a reflex to protect ourselves during a fall: We curl up into the fetal position.

We literally spend nine months practicing before we even join the outside world!

“The fetal position does a brilliant job of protecting our inner organs once we are already falling; it just doesn’t help us when we want to prevent the fall in the first place. In order to ride well, then, we actually have to override our most ancient instinct.”

I

t’s happened to everyone at some time. Your horse bucks or bolts or you’re about to enter the show ring – and suddenly you forget everything you ever knew about riding.

Thank evolution: The area of your brain known as the Lizard Brain, the part that thinks only about survival and the immediate moment, has just taken over.

Your Rational Brain, meanwhile, has effectively shut down. And so you are at the mercy of a reptile – dry-mouthed, sweating, queasy and unable to think clearly, even though you know better.

When does the Lizard Brain run the show? It can happen in any number of unfamiliar, uncomfortable, challenging, or stressful riding situations. But here’s the thing: With the right kind of training,

you can learn to manage the reptile within, which leads to greater confidence with horses, better riding performance, and ultimately, happiness at the barn, at shows, and everywhere in between.

In Brain Training for Riders (Trafalgar Square Books, $18.95 Paperback), author Andrea Monsarrat Waldo shares techniques for conquering fear, improving performance, and finding focused calm in the saddle. Through a series of mental exercises, tips and techniques, Waldo teaches riders how to: • Handle uncomfortable emotions, such as fear, anger, anxiety, and embarrassment • Hone their mental game and focus riding time to get the most out of every hour in the saddle • Care for emotional injuries and tap into the skills they have to ensure an outstanding ride Waldo, who has a master’s degree in counseling, is a riding instructor certified by the U.S. Eventing Association and competes through the Advanced Level in eventing. She also owns a farm in Vermont where she trains horses and riders of all ages and abilities in eventing and dressage.

BITS AND PIECES HIGH FIVE: NUMBERS OF INTEREST THIS ISSUE New York Horse took a spin through the stacks of research, news releases and other nuggets of information that come our way and gleaned these items of equine intelligence.

4-5 years How long manufacturers recommend you should wear a riding helmet – without an accident – before replacing it

2

NY State Police troops with equine nicknames: Troop B, the Black Horse Troop and Troop C, the Spotted Horse Troop (2017 is the NYSP Centennial)

22 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

11.5 1.5-2% $647M The average age of horses competing at major show jumping championships

How much of their body weight a horse should eat daily in forage

The 2016 handle at Saratoga Race Track, a hair under the 2015 record

We build HOPE …

We Fulfill DREAMS …

We Change LIVES …

From the Ground Up

“Engaging the power of the horse to motivate, teach and heal …”

Two locations Webber Road, New Woodstock Woodchuck Hill Road, Manlius

images (c) bryan nigro

design (c) kelsey keathly

www.ftguhorses.org 315-662-3000

Adam V. D’Agostino, MBA (315) 882-1937 | Homer, NY APHA & AQHA Professional Horseman

TRAINING.SHOWING.COACHING.SALES

FORGET THE LAUNDRY

PUT YOUR HORSE ON SPIN CYCLE! Central New York Reining Horse Association Promoting the sport of Reining in the NE Jennifer Hoyt: 315-447-4166, hoyttrain1@gmail.com

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Don’t Dread Winter,

Embrace It We’re here to help because you can lead a horse to frozen water, but you can’t make him ice skate

NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 25

1. Try dashing through the snow

N

o one-horse open sleigh of your own?

No problem.

Enjoy a picturesque ride through the winter woods of Highland Forest in Fabius, the “Adirondacks of Central New York.” Sleigh rides – or wagon rides if Old Man Winter is not cooperating – wind through 20 miles of trails. Stop at Skyline Lodge with its cozy fireplace and dramatic hilltop views. Rides by Highland Outfitters are available weekends, weather permitting, on a first come, first served basis. There are no reservations, but contact the park office at (315) 683-5550 to check on the day’s schedule, or go to Onondagacountyparks. com/activity/hayrides-sleighrides.

Sip hot chocolate and settle in under a blanket for sleigh ride through gentle hills and fields of The

26 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

Lake Placid Club. During the day, enjoy views of the Olympic ski jumps and the High Peaks; at night look to the skies for a moonlit journey with Lake Placid Sleigh Rides. Make reservations at (518)241-3388, online at nysleighrides.com.

Head west for sleigh rides through the historic grounds of the Chautauqua Institution. Rides begin the first weekend after Christmas at Chautauqua, a step back in time on the shores of Chautauqua Lake.

Weather permitting, rides are 1-3 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday through February. Chautauqua was founded in 1874, and the 20-30 minute rides wind past landmark buildings, including the magnificent Athenaeum Hotel. Tickets are $4 for adults and $2 for children. More information on the rides and the community are at ciweb.org.

2. Road trip! Time to enjoy the great indoors

L

eave the trailer at home, and hit the road in search of equine pursuits that don’t require a horse. Visit the Cradle of the Trotter, poke through treasures of the Thoroughbred vault, or take a ride on a carousel horse – the only equine absolutely guaranteed never to misbehave.

The Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in Goshen is open all winter except Christmas and New Year’s Day. Admission is free, so there’s every reason to trot downstate for a day. Wander through the Hall of Immortals and the Currier & Ives gallery, then take in the Fine Art of Harness Racing exhibit and explore America’s romance with the trotting horse.

Let’s give equal time to the Thoroughbreds: They’re celebrated at the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs. From the iconic courtyard sculpture of Secretariat to a Bob

Baffert bobble head, the exhibits capture the history of Thoroughbred racing in America. But head to the starting gate now – the museum closes for the season on Dec. 31.

Children in tow? Take a trip to “the museum you can ride” – the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum in North Tonawanda. (Don’t call, that’s how it’s spelled.) In addition to a large collection of merrygo-round animals and a re-created workshop, two vintage carousels are ready to ride, one sized just for kids. Admission to the museum includes one free ride; additional tokens are 50 cents.

One more thing: The galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan contain some do-not-miss equine pieces including bronze sculptures by Edgar Degas and an entire hall of elaborately etched 16th century horse armor.

NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 27

3. Explore a different approach

W

inter is tough on horses – well humans, too, but we can always throw on an extra layer and dial up the thermostat. Keeping your horse’s coat in top condition is important, and if you’ve ever thought about trying an herbal alternative, New York Horse is here to help you DIY. This recipe is courtesy of animal communicator Tracey Wright at Beacon of Light CNY, who says the horses she works with “positively love” essential oils and are “very opinionated on which ones they like and don’t like.” Young Living essential oils are available through Wright (email her at tracey@ beaconoflightcny.com and she’ll also share more recipes); from independent distributor Sarah Lamanna (online at nyoilslady.com); and at Natur-Tyme in DeWitt.

28 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

EQUINE WINTER COAT SUPPORT INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons fractionated coconut oil 2 tablespoon vegetable glycerin 1 teaspoon witch hazel 2 cups distilled distilled water 20 drops each of lavender and cedarwood Young Living essential oils DIRECTIONS

Mix in spray bottle. Shake very well. Spray and rub in to support a lustrous winter coat.

NOTE: As long as this spray is used topically, it should not cause a positive USEF test. However, it is strongly advised to stop using all oils a full 7 days prior to an event to be extra safe.

4. Start dreaming of spring — and the perfect horse show space

W

e’ve all seen them and secretly coveted them: The horse show stabling area that is nicer than your house. Behind the tack room curtains are antique oil paintings, upholstered wing chairs and a mahogany sideboard. The Waterford crystal bowl resting on the sideboard holds peppermints, molasses treats and the tears of envious passersby.

But even if your show budget doesn’t include a line item for decorating, there’s no reason to hang up an old rope for ribbons and call it a day. Cheap and chic is well within everyone’s grasp. Start by rummaging around the house for a few interesting items, add in a trip to the craft store, flea market and garden center and – in the time it takes to put an ice chest in an old tack box and call it an equestrianthemed bar – you’re done.

Ginny Wickham Brown of Black Creek Training in Brewerton, says the custom of decorating tack rooms began during Prohibition, when competitors would retreat behind the curtains for an illegal cocktail. Her own tack room touches at the State Fair include a draped table and flowers, bridles hanging from a wooden rack and a mirrored shelf.

Down another row, a checkered vase and horseshoe accented a table with brochures.

At fall’s Stepping Stone show in Syracuse, we spotted a tablescape with photos, gourds, a garland of fake leaves and a welcoming bowl of candy corn. Wooden crates and hay bales – you’re a horse person, you have them! – made perfect pedestals for mums and pumpkins.

Just don’t forget to put out a box of tissues and a bowl to catch the tears of passersby.

NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 29

Hand-painted wooden serving pieces by artist Judy Goldthwait give a party a signature equine touch.

More at jgpetportraits.com.

30 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

5. Invite a few friends over to graze EQ Style says: Inside every horse, there’s a little party animal

I

t’s your party – make it equestrian-themed if you want to.

Whether it’s a holiday open house, a New Year’s Eve bash or a bad case of misery loves company, winter is perfect party time. But if the thought of hosting makes you want to halt at X, not to worry: EQStyle is here to help put the wine in equine.

Start with a few equestrian-themed accessories, pepper in some signature food pairings and round up some friends; it’s the perfect antidote to whatever arctic nonsense Mother Nature is unleashing. And easy – did we mention easy? Here at EQStyle it’s our mission to make life easier, because heaven knows most horses consider it their mission to make life more complicated.

So, décor first. Start with some larger touches — a hand-crafted equestrian stocking or an equine wreath at the front door. Make one yourself if you’re

feeling crafty; a horse head wreath wire form is available on Amazon.com.

Then, set the mood around the table: Dust off an old trophy cup and fill it with flowers or seasonal greens for an equestrian centerpiece. Poke around area antique shops if you don’t have one, and while you’re there look for vintage Kentucky Club tobacco tins to hold candles or plants. Tie napkins with leather cords, make a runner from a length of burlap and finish with equine accents – a hand-painted tray and glasses, or maybe a combination hoof pick and corkscrew.

Feeling a bit more ambitious? Take a page from the Lorenzo Driving Competition’s hors d’oeuvres ala cart and serve finger food on a cart or carriage.

None handy? Try a tack trunk to similar effect.

What to serve, of course, is the main question and for that, EQStyle turned to the experts: Joyce and Suzanne Hunt of Hunt Country Vineyards,

Selections from Hunt Country Vineyards are the perfect choice when a party requires horsing around.

NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 31

a Finger Lakes winery tucked in the hills outside Branchport. Mother and daughter are lifelong equestrians and the vineyard’s name and logo – a leaping horse inscribed with a silhouette of Keuka Lake – brings together their two passions.

Joyce and Suzanne suggest letting guests graze through several pairings. “Generally you go from dry to sweet,” Suzanne says, so the party uncorks with a selection of Hunt Country wines that complement the taste and texture of New York state farmstead cheeses and finishes with dessert and Port or their signature ice wine. “Wine and cheese pairings are fun,” Suzanne adds. “It’s like matchmaking with people: Put the right combination together and it’s magic.”

FINISHING TOUCHES Baroque Equestrian Stockings are perfect for horse or home.

Available in several patterns on burlap or canvas with free customization. More at TheBurlapPony.com.

Alchemy paired with XXX Cheddar from Yancey’s Fancy, Corfu. Alchemy is a Merlot blend

with light oak aging that gives it the heft to partner an extra-sharp cheddar. If there’s any left over, try it with tomato-based Italian food.

Valvin Muscat paired with curried squash soup.

Valvin Muscat is a native New Yorker, a new grape developed by Cornell, and Hunt Country is one of very few wineries that use it. “If you have folks that want more of a floral wine, this is something they won’t have tried,” says Suzanne.

Vidal Blanc Ice Wine with white chocolate.

Hunt Country is the oldest producer of true ice wine in the U.S., which means they allow the grapes to hang on the vine until they are frozen marbles.

The natural aging gives the wine intense raisin and honey flavors that Joyce and Suzanne would pair with delicate white chocolate or, for a true upstate match, maple bread pudding.

Ruby Port with blue-veined cheese or chocolate. Port is very versatile, says Joyce, pairing

with cheese as an appetizer or chocolate for dessert, “if you’re tired of cooking by that time.” It’s a fortified wine with 18% alcohol, Suzanne adds, making it a traditional horseman’s choice for coolweather jaunts: “At the end of a ride, when you’re cold and get back in the house, it’s just nice.”

MAPLE BREAD PUDDING The Wine Down Hoof Pick is a corkscrew wine opener concealed in the handle of a stainless steel pick.

Genius. More at The Show Trunk II, 2335 Dryden Road, Dryden.

On the party table: Seyval Blanc paired with Chèvre from Interlaken’s Lively Run Goat Dairy. Seyval is one

of the Finger Lakes’ regional white wines, which the Hunts describe as “lovely, little known and distinctive.” The clean finish is a good counterpoint to the creaminess and slight acidity of the chèvre.

Chardonnay paired with Chaseholm Camembert from The Amazing Real Live Food Co., Pine Plains. Hunt Country ages this Chardonnay

in oak barrels, and a second fermentation gives it a buttery flavor that makes it perfect with cheese.

It’s a personal favorite of Joyce, who recommends post-party pairings with lobster, salmon, northern Italian dishes and – for at-home movie nights – buttered popcorn.

32 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

INGREDIENTS

½ loaf good quality white bread, crusts removed and cut into ½-inch pieces (about 4 cups) 3 cups heavy cream 9 egg yolks ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup DIRECTIONS 1. Lightly butter an 8” baking dish and place the bread pieces in the prepared pan.

2. In a saucepan, heat the cream to warm, but not yet steaming. In a large bowl, whisk the yolks and syrup until well blended, pour in the cream and continue whisking.

3. Pour the cream mixture over the bread. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap, submerging the bread in the cream. Set aside for 20-30 minutes, until the bread is evenly soaked through.

4. Preheat oven to 325°. Cover the pan with foil, place in a larger baking pan, and put both pans in the oven.

Pour very hot water in the larger pan, about halfway up the sides, and bake for 25-35 minutes, or until the custard is just set.

5. Serve the bread pudding with a drizzle of maple syrup and a scoop of vanilla or walnut ice cream on top. Serves 6

Carriage House Saddlery

20

Ride warm, ride fashionably, ride better with English wear and Western boots & hats from Carriage House Saddlery

DREAMING

16

OF A

WHITE CHRISTMAS

For you: Ariat & Mountain Horse boots Charles Owen helmets Horze Equestrian & R.J. Classics apparel Stephens luxury sheepskin saddle pads for your teammate

C H R I ST M AS AT LO R E N ZO

Lorenzo State Historic Site | 17 Rippleton Road, Cazenovia | 315-655-3200 | www.LorenzoNY.org

Thursday & Friday, December 8 & 9, 7–9 PM

For All Things Equestrian 325 Waterburg Road, Trumansburg • Phone: 607-387- 3422 • carriagehousesaddlery.com Shop Hours: Tuesday and Friday 10-6, Saturday 10-4 or call for appointment

$6 adult

“Christmas by Candlelight at Lorenzo”

AND

Monday–Sunday, December 5-11, 1–4 PM

“Christmas at Lorenzo: Dreaming of a White Christmas”

$2 Children 12 and under

December weekday tours also available by pre-registration for groups of 12 or more

Madison County

CHRISTIAN PHILLIPS PHOTOGRAPHY

Cazenovia | Hamilton | Chittenango | Canastota | Oneida | Bouckville | Brookfield

Request Your FREE Travel Guide!

V i s i t M a d i s o n To u r i s m . c o m o r C a l l 8 0 0 - 6 8 4 - 7 3 2 0

OH WHAT FUN IT IS!

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUNY COBLESKILL

The Healing Horse

“Horses help us discover hidden parts of ourselves. They cause us to become better people, better parents, better partners, and better friends.

They teach us that when we’re not getting what we want, we’re the ones who need to change either what we’re doing or who we’re being.

A horse can be your greatest teacher for, as you will discover, a horse has no ego, he never lies, and he’s never wrong.”

— Tim Hayes, Riding Home – The Power of Horses to Heal

NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 35

36 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

Awhere farm healing grows Alice Root gave others the gift of horses before accepting it herself

Contributing Editor

JESSICA BERMAN/ESSENCE OF EQUINE PHOTOGRAPHY

BY RENÉE K. GADOUA

NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 37

A

lice Root describes the relationship between horses and humans as magical and spiritual. It’s a bond with cultural roots as deep as Ancient Greece and Rome, where mythology told of halfhuman, half-horse centaurs.

“The horse is magnificent, beautiful, responsive,” Root said. “In their eyes and their movement, there are things the human body just yearns for.”

Over two decades, she’s seen that magical relationship unfold, first as a pioneer in the use of equine therapy – more recently as the recipient of that magic herself.

“I’ve seen children and adults who have never spoken full sentences, maybe even didn’t have words, speak for the first time on the back of a horse,” Root said. “I’ve seen parents undone by this.”

Her work began about 20 years ago, when she started an equine-assisted therapy program to help at-risk youth. She was breeding donkeys on her farm in Vernon Center at the time, and thought to put the animals and young people together.

“The effect of the animals on these kids was extraordinary,” Root said. “These children, who were used to manipulating their environment, could no longer do so. To communicate with a donkey, you have to have a conversation. You can’t use force. You have to see what they want.”

Despite their headstrong ways, donkeys are also very affectionate, offering comfort and attention to their young caretakers. For the first time in their

LEARN MORE Root Farm employs seven full-time staff members and relies on volunteers. As of September, volunteers had clocked 1,500 hours with the equine programs. About 338 people had participated in almost 1,700 sessions. By comparison, in all of 2015, about 220 people rode in about 1,300 sessions.

Root Farm is working with the physical therapy program at Utica College to collect data that can be used to persuade insurance companies to cover equine-assisted therapy.

Learn more at www.rootfarm.org.

lives, Root recalled, these kids had a give-and-take relationship and developed social skills.

As demand grew, the program expanded and moved to Verona, evolving once again when Root began to contemplate retirement and sought a permanent home for the work she’d begun. She found that home at Upstate Cerebral Palsy, where she was a long-time volunteer in the equine program.

Root Farm became an affiliate program of Upstate Caring Partners, Inc., which includes UCP, opening in October 2015 in Sauquoit, near Utica. The 100-plus acre campus includes an equine-assisted therapy center and vocational and recreational programs.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROOT FARM

38 NEW YORK HORSE NYHorseMag.com

JESSICA BERMAN/ESSENCE OF EQUINE PHOTOGRAPHY

“It’s an incredibly uplifting experience to go there and see what is going on,” said Root, who serves on the farm’s nine-member board. The new Root Farm offers hippotherapy, adaptive and recreational riding and vaulting. It has expanded to agricultural programs, producing flowers, vegetables, eggs, honey and maple syrup that are sold at local farmer’s markets.

“We really believe in the benefits of this treatment approach,” said Jeremy Earl, a physical therapist who is the farm’s executive director.

At the core of equine-assisted therapy is the way that the movement of a horse walking parallels the movement of the human pelvis. “If you have a person who cannot walk normally, or not at all, that person on the horse is walking,” Root explained.

“The brain does not know the difference. Walking is moving at a very basic, instinctual level.”

Although neither equestrians nor medical experts can explain exactly how and why, the walking motion appears to have therapeutic benefits. “In the walking movement, the brain makes certain connections we take for granted as walkers,” she said. “Who knows what happens in the brain that connects with other things that people with disabilities are not engaged with.”

Anecdotal evidence is strong, Earl agreed.

“We have a gentleman with Parkinson’s who believes he continues to be independent because of hippotherapy,” he said. “Then there are people who say they just feel better when they leave here.”

For many stories, this would be the end. But then, about five years ago, Root was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, which manifested primarily as balance and coordination problems. After years of preaching its benefits, Root herself looked to the healing power of horses.

“I knew at a gut level there is nothing better for balance issues than to be on the back of a horse,” she said. “I had a lifetime of experience to know it.

I’ve probably been carrying this illness a long time.

The fact that I’ve been on horseback all my life may be why it took so long for the illness to show itself.”

Her prescription: Spend as much time as possible in the saddle. She gave up pleasure driving and took up long-distance riding, spending six months in Florida so she can ride all year. She does a 50mile endurance ride about every three weeks with Slammer — Comet’s Grand Slam — a purebred Arabian.

“You are with your horse for so long, with beautiful countryside, with rough terrain. There’s at least one overnight. You’re bonding with your horse.

It’s wonderful.”

The long rides allow horses to do “what they’re born to do: to be wild and to move in a natural setting,” Root said. “The horses are exposed to a much more natural lifestyle than in a stable. This is a kind of freedom that I didn’t know.”

She’s conditioning three other horses, with the hope of taking on a 100-mile trip by the time she turns 65, in two years. “The horses have to build up the metabolism and muscle structure and endurance,” she explained. “The same goes for people.”

Since her diagnosis, her condition remains stable – a status she attributes to her time on horses.

“When my body is in that saddle, there is nowhere in the world I would rather be,” she said. “It’s being in that moment exactly where I need to be. My body and my mind and my soul are so happy, and how grateful I am to have discovered that.”

And so there is this: Her health allows her to talk about the value of equine therapy from both a theoretical and personal perspective.

“I get to promote it from inside and out,” Root said. “That’s a gift for the program to say this really works. One hundred miles, here I come.”

“I’ve seen children and adults who have never spoken full sentences, speak for the first time on the back of a horse,” Alice Root says

NYHorseMag.com NEW YORK HORSE 39

First therapeutic horsemanship program in New York begins at SUNY Cobleskill New degree ‘weds a passion for equine studies with a drive to help others’

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SUNY COBLESKILL

S

UNY Cobleskill has launched the first therapeutic horsemanship degree program in New York. The four-year program, which started this fall, will lead to a Bachelor of Technology degree.

Students in the program will study a broad range of subjects— from equine science to education and psychology— while working with other students, volunteers, clients, parents, teachers and therapists through partnerships with community organizations. Through a combination of coursework and hands-on training, they’ll learn in depth how equine therapy uses interaction with horses to help people with special needs overcome physical, cognitive, and emotional challenges.

The new program “weds a passion for equine studies with a drive to help others,” said SUNY Cobleskill President Dr. Marion A. Terenzio. “We’re proud to bring our expertise in horsemanship together with the humanities to offer this valuable new program in New York state.”

At the end of the four years, students will be prepared to pursue instructor certification with the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH), enter the field of equine therapy, or continue with graduate studies. SUNY Cobleskill faculty will assist students in obtaining “Instructor in Training” status through PATH, guide them to complete PATH-required mentoring hours on campus, and accompany students to off-site PATH certification exams.

The college is one of less than a dozen nationwide to offer certification by PATH International as part of a degree program.

Students enrolled in the program will study in a variety of academic areas, starting with the foundations of equineassisted therapy, and then drawing on the subjects of equine science, education, psychology, sociology, recreation and sport.

Students will have the opportunity to apply their course work in therapeutic riding instruction in a client-based setting every semester.

As part of the program students will also: • Learn equine care and management, riding skills and instruction, and equine behavior.

• Work with carefully selected horses while interacting with community volunteers, parents, teachers, and therapists.

• Learn to select, manage and train horses for use in therapeutic horsemanship.

• Work in collaboration with pre-schools for children with special needs, the ARC, on-campus veteran affairs office, and the community at large.

Equine therapy strives to make a difference in the lives of a wide range of clients, including young children, at-risk adolescents, adults with special needs, and veterans by using the horse as a tool to improve focus, coordination, selfconfidence, patience, and control.

The therapeutic horsemanship program is based at the college’s Equine Center, which has stabling for 60 horses, an indoor arena, and two outdoor rings. Students enrolled in the program also have the opportunity to enhance their riding and horsemanship skills by enrolling in riding and training courses and through participation in the Varsity Hunt Seat and Western IHSA riding teams.

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THE JOURNEY she never envisioned A special horse and the reining community help heal a 9/11 survivor

BY KATIE NAVARRA

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At Bluestockings Farm, 9/11 survivor Sayda Canizares says, she found new purpose.

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FARM PHOTOS COURTESY OF SAYDA CANIZARES

O

n September 11, 2001, Sayda Canizares was at her desk on the 48th floor of the South Tower of the World Trade Center. At 8:45 a.m. on that clear morning, American Airlines Flight 11 struck the Center’s North Tower. Instinctively, Sayda ran for the stairs and raced to the bottom. As she emerged at ground level, it was 9:03 a.m., the moment United Airlines Flight 175 slammed into the South Tower.

“There was a gentleman who grabbed me by the hand and took me to where we could get water,” she said. “Then a bus driver started loading us onto his bus and drove us over the bridge out of midtown to safety.”

She was physically out of harm’s way, but the tragedy took its toll. In the years since, Sayda’s journey to recovery from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder has brought her to Jordanville, a hamlet in southern Herkimer County, and transformed into an adventure she never envisioned at the outset.

Not only has she found peace, she’s found a closeknit competitive community that’s supportive and encouraging, she’s excelling in a new discipline and she’s established Bluestockings Farm, a successful breeding facility.

Shortly after 9/11, Sayda, an accomplished rider, traded in her business suits for breeches and went to work at an FEI-level dressage barn in the Bronx.

She taught lessons, schooled horses and assisted the stable owner with preparing clients for top-level dressage competition. But the emotional impact of that day followed her into the saddle “Up until that day I had been a fearless rider, and suddenly I was spookier than the horses,” she said.

There were days she experienced such anxiety that she couldn’t bring herself to put her foot in the stirrup and ride. “It was embarrassing and debilitating,” she said, “but it was also a gift. I learned to teach lessons from a totally different perspective because I knew what it was like to feel fear on the back of a horse.”

The daily 1½ hour commute, combined with the lingering effects of PTSD, convinced her she needed a change. Her husband, Shannon Fields, suggested going to Manlius to be with her parents, and in 2009

they made the move.

After settling in, it was time to find a home in the local horse community, and continue a three-decade love affair that started when she was a 3-year-old taking a first ride on her aunt’s Appaloosa.

“I was hooked,” Sayda recalled. “That single ride created a monster and I begged my parents for a pony.”

Her parents indulged her, and she started with hunt seat lessons. At a local show she watched dressage and knew that was the discipline for her: “The sophistication of the maneuvers, and the long hours spent focusing to master those maneuvers, appealed to me.”

She connected with trainer and USEF judge Margaret Little and continued to advance her skills, adding eventing to her repertoire when she and her parents lived several years in France. But now, as she contemplated which discipline to pursue, she knew dressage wasn’t on the list. “I knew I couldn’t fund the level of dressage horse needed to be competitive, so I began looking into other disciplines,” she said.

She considered saddle seat, searched the internet and discovered vaulting – her husband vetoed that option – and then she found reining. She fired off an email to Jennifer and Tom Hoyt of Hoyts Training in Manlius, inquiring about lessons. She explained that she was an ex-dressage rider and that she’d be wearing a helmet, so if that was a problem, she’d have to ride somewhere else. They assured her a helmet was not a deal breaker, and so her career as a reiner began.

“Reining has all of the same elements that I love about dressage – the continuous improvement, the intricateness and the nuance of different movements” Sayda said. “Plus it has the added excitement of adrenaline.”

Sayda needed a special horse and in Grace Like Rain, the Hoyts found the perfect match. The palomino mare was sired by National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Six Million Dollar Sire Wimpys Little Step and foaled by Jokers Sunny Jac – and she was for sale.

“At the time I met Gracie, I was still pretty panicky and needed a high level of trust in my horse. She helped me get through that and get to where that’s not the case anymore,” Sayda said.

Gracie was a super quiet, patient mare that knew her job. She was not reactive and never took a step Sayda didn’t ask for.

She gave Sayda the confidence she needed to learn and grow as a rider.

Together, 10 years after 9/11, they came full circle. Encouraged by the Hoyts, Sayda flew to Oklahoma City to watch the 2011 NRHA futurity while they hauled Gracie to the show. There, the Reining Horse Sports Foundation hosted a special event – the 4R Performance Horses Hometown

After 9/11, Sayda Canizares says, reining “gave me peace.”

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Shannon Fields with the mares that are the cornerstone of Bluestocking’s breeding program.

Heroes Slide – where firefighters and police competed in a friendly ride-off to raise money for the Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum.

Sayda offered Gracie as one of the horses for the competition, and the mare was paired with Jonathan Akright, a first responder at the Oklahoma City bombing.

“I was moved by all the love the first responders showed me. Each one hugged me and we didn’t even have to speak to one another about our experiences. We just knew each other instantly in our hugs,” she said, “I felt proud to share our joy and grief through reining, a sport which gave me peace.”

They gave her a T-shirt and a badge from their firehouse, which she says to this day are among her most prized possessions.

Gracie was the foundation of Sayda’s breeding program at Bluestockings Farm, where she specializes in Quarter Horse and half-Arabian reining prospects. She remained a cornerstone – “mares are the crux of my program” Sayda says – until her passing in the fall of 2016.

On the Quarter Horse side, she has offspring that trace back to Colonels Smoking Gun, an NRHA Hall of Famer and Eight Million Dollar Sire.

On the Arabian side, she said she looks for mares with Polish and American foundation bloodlines because they are known for being powerfully built and athletic, and have proven to be talented in working Western events. She continues to compete, and currently leads the CNY Reining Horse Association’s 2016 rookie standings with her horse Pistol Pacn Red Pine.

“Reining, both riding and establishing a breeding program, has been extremely therapeutic for me,” Sayda said. “It has allowed me to continue riding in a highly skilled discipline, and the community in Upstate New York is so kind and supportive.”

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Personal

Ponies: Little horses with a

big mission Intelligent and gentle, ‘they seem to sense who needs them the most’

By Margaret McCormick PHOTOS BY JESSICA BERMAN

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O “There is something about these horses that people connect with,” says Marcia Knapp, Personal Ponies state director.

n a sunny morning, a van pulls into the driveway at Ginger’s Wish Farm, and parks near a small, red barn. Three curious ponies – Keenan, Kane, and Maggie, the lone mare and the boss – perk up their ears and come to the gate to welcome the visitors.

Out steps a group of five adults in jeans and sturdy shoes. Over the next hour, they will work with the three-foot tall, shaggy Shetlands, who happily receive pets and pats, hugs, grooming and one-on-one attention – as well as some hay and a bite or two of carrot and apple.

It’s both enjoyable and therapeutic for the members of the group, all of whom are developmentally disabled. They’re at the farm, near the Oneida County community of Clinton, to be part of Personal Ponies, a national program that believes in the power of very small equines to enrich the lives of children and adults with special needs.

Keenan, Kane and Maggie “just love having people come visit,’’ says Marcia Knapp, owner of Ginger’s Wish Farm and director of Personal Ponies of New York. “They love the interaction. It makes their day.’’

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One by one, the group takes turns leading the horses up the driveway and through a course marked by orange traffic cones. Each pair pauses at a low, wooden platform. “Whoa,” the human member of the team commands their equine partner.

And the obliging ponies clamber onto the platform and stand in place. When they lead the horses back to the barn, talk turns to the following week’s visit, when the group will host a birthday party for their equine friends, complete with bobbing for apples for the horses and cupcakes for the humans.

Personal Ponies is a nonprofit organization founded by Marianne Alexander in 1986. Since that time, it has grown from the original two ponies to include chapters in nearly all 50 states. The mission of the volunteer-driven group is to bring “pony magic’’ to those in need of a nuzzle: autistic and other special needs children, Alzheimer’s patients, nursing home residents and military veterans — anyone who can benefit from animal interaction and therapy.

The group at Ginger’s Wish came there through the state’s Job Connections program. Tina Mull,

a coordinator with the program in Rome, says interaction with the horses has mental, physical and social benefits for the developmentally disabled adults with whom she works. “You see their confidence improve when they handle the ponies, and they carry that over to other areas of their lives,” Mull says. “The program is such an asset.’’

Personal Ponies works strictly with UK Shetlands, breeding their own for disposition and size – 30 to 40 inches tall, about the same as a St. Bernard – to be companion animals for anyone with special needs. Small and sturdy, wide and round with thick manes and shaggy coats, they were originally bred to haul peat and do farm work and later used to pull heavy carts in the coal mines of Scotland and Wales.

Intelligent, kind and gentle – the breed page describes them as “steady of mind and great of heart” – their temperament makes UK Shetlands a perfect match for a program like Personal Ponies.

They’re patient, sensitive and relate well to people of all ages, says Janice Chapman, who directs a Personal Ponies chapter in Western New York with fellow volunteer Lisa Smith. Chapman says she has seen the horses approach people in wheelchairs and hospital beds on their own, without any coaxing.

“The ponies seem to sense who needs them the most and will actually seek out the more needy patients,” she says. “They are so gentle and loving.’’

Originally, the ponies in the Personal Ponies program were placed primarily with families with special needs children. That still happens, but in more recent years, Knapp says, the program has moved toward placing ponies at homes and small farms where visitors can come see them and where the ponies can go out in the community and serve as “roving ambassadors.”

The daily feeding, care, exercise and grooming required, plus the long-term commitment – UK Shetlands can live well into their 30s – is more than some families can easily manage and sustain, Knapp explains. “It’s not always feasible for families to keep them for really extended periods.’’

In Western New York, Chapman and Smith have eight Personal Ponies between them. Almost every weekend, Chapman says, they bring a couple to fairs, festivals and other events, and to sites like senior centers, churches and nursing homes to help get the word out about the ponies and the work of

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Working with the ponies improves confidence, and clients carry that over to other areas of their lives.

the organization. “It’s quite time consuming, but it’s what I have chosen to do,’’ says Chapman, a retired veterinary technician. “To see that bond of people and horses … it’s very rewarding.’’

Knapp, the state director, has loved horses since childhood, when she and her sister cared for their part-Clydesdale backyard horse. “My sister and I had the horse bug very badly,’’ Knapp says. “I think it stays with you for life.’’

There was a gap after college, Knapp says, when she didn’t have any horses. She worked as a pediatric nurse before going back to school to become a child life specialist, helping youngsters and families deal with the challenges of illness and hospitalization. While raising her own three children, she volunteered with Astride, a Syracuse-

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TO HELP For more information on breeding, hosting and volunteer opportunities with Personal Ponies in New York, contact State Director Marcia Knapp at 315-737-9376; or email mmknapp@aol.com.

Look for them on line at personalponies-ny.org and on Facebook at facebook.com/ personalponiesofny

based therapeutic riding program, and with Canine Working Companions, an organization that provides highly-trained service dogs to people with disabilities.

Ten years ago, Knapp received a breast cancer diagnosis. During her treatment and recovery, she says, she started thinking about horses and their importance in her life. She became involved with Personal Ponies after reading “Angel Horses,’’ a collection of stories by Allen Anderson about horses, healing and hope. She has served as the state director since 2008.

Ginger’s Wish Farm takes its name from her own Shetland pony, Ginger, who is buried on the property. Knapp started out with two Personal Ponies but ended up with three, each with a distinct personality. Maggie can be a bit moody at times, she says, but is “basically sweet.’’ Kane doesn’t much like to be brushed and groomed, and needs some leadership. Keenan will hold a paintbrush and paint, and entertains visitors by picking up buckets and bowls.

Knapp loves nurturing them. “I replaced three children with three horses,’’ she says with a smile before turning serious. “I have learned so much from these horses ... There is something about these horses that people connect with.”

Artful orse H The

An equine photographer’s advice on capturing poetry in motion

BY EMILY GARAVUSO PHOTOS BY MEGAN STAPLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

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I

n Megan Stapley’s photographs, the horse is perfectly frozen in time.

The bay warmblood is poised and balanced, his canter collected, while the hard-charging eventer is a study in concentration as water droplets fly about his head.

Photography, just like riding, takes patience and dedication.

Megan Stapley has been riding for 35 years – she currently has five horses and a husband – and it’s her long experience that allows her to find the precise angle, the exact moment that translates to a timeless image. Photography began as a hobby until one day, when she was shooting for fun at a clinic, she was asked to take some pictures for the clinician.

That chance encounter became a second

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career for Megan – she also has a fulltime job at a therapeutic riding center in Western New York – and she travels the country as a horse-show photographer.

She also does private bookings, commercial work and has been featured in several publications, including Practical Horseman and Horse Illustrated.

Her best advice on how to shoot horses like a professional?

First, says Megan, remember that in photography, what you see is what you get. Images can be cropped and toned, but a blurry shot of a horse cantering away from a fence can never become a crisp photo of a horse sailing over an oxer, knees neatly tucked to his chest.

So timing is critical, and Megan says getting it right is purely a matter of

practice. As the photographer, she says, you have to anticipate the shot you want to take. Learning when to snap the shutter to get that preferred moment in the horse’s stride is only found by trial and error. But here’s a little shortcut: You have a better chance of catching that perfect moment by selecting the camera’s cluster mode, which takes a burst of three to six photos. Experience has taught Megan that, depending on the discipline, when using her camera in cluster mode the best shots will typically be the second and third images in the group.

Composing a great photo should first and foremost take into consideration the reason it’s being taken, whether it’s documenting a show, creating an art piece, or a photo that will be

showcased on a home or stable wall.

“Thinking about the purpose of a shoot will always be a great starting point,” she told members of CNY Dressage and Combined Training Association.

At a show, she says, “I consider the horse’s gait and stride and look for development of a good moment – is the horse on the forehand or starting to use the back end and topline?” If it’s a hunter/jumper class, she looks for “which fence on the course will give me the best knees, ears, etc., and plan my angle based on anticipation of all of the elements.”

When shooting a portrait, where there’s time to plan or stage the image, “I might remove or add items to and from the scenery. Is there a mounting block in the background? Do I want to bring in some of the potted plants? In a planned portrait session I also consider the small details: a horse should be groomed until it gleams, clipped if it’s the owner’s preference.

Tack should be clean and all ends in their keepers. The little things become glaringly obvious in a final photo.”

And because perspective is everything, Megan says her personal preference is to take photographs from low angles. Sitting or even lying on the ground, she says, gives her a unique perspective and makes the horse and his movements seem bigger.

She also prefers to position herself to take three-quarter shots off the rail, which she says creates a more interesting image than one taken straight-on, or a profile shot along the rail.

Above all, Megan stresses: “If you’re shooting a horse event as an amateur, be very mindful about your location and use of flash ... Try to be as subtle as possible.” Recently, she said, she was the official photographer for an event where an amateur positioned himself on the rail, distracting several competitors and causing one rider to fall when the flash went off in her horse’s eye. “The shooter wasn’t paying attention and was more focused on the shot than being mindful of the action in the ring.”

Megan also advises amateurs shooting at a show to introduce themselves to the official photographer, if there is one. “Some professionals will gladly help you out and share some insight,” she notes, while others might prefer you not shoot an event they’ve been hired to capture. Either way, it’s a courtesy to the pro.

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Beyond the basics of timing and composition, each photo is often framed by the discipline and the breed.

How so? Says Megan: Depending on the discipline, people are looking for different moments. That’s why she stresses the importance of knowing the client – even if it’s friends or family – reading the horse, understanding the mechanics of each gait, and anticipating the moment.

Photography is an art and therefore subjective, Megan says. Everyone likes a different look and a different shot. As a professional, she is always aware of who she is shooting for, and she takes shots she thinks the riders will like, as well as her own for a more artistic feel.

So make photography a journey. Take the time to experiment and figure out what you think looks best. Take the time to discover what settings are best for which conditions and how to plan that shutter click to capture the best action.

And remember: Even professionals take test photos.

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THE TECHNICAL SIDE Most of us shoot photos these days with a digital camera – from smartphones, to a point-and-shoot, to a professionalgrade DSLR with multiple lenses. (Megan shoots with a Nikon D700.) The lowerlevel cameras are more user-friendly, with fun features like color replacement and panoramic photo stitching, while the higher-level cameras offer the ultimate control needed by a professional.

Interested in learning a little bit about how a camera works? Let’s figure out what all those settings mean.

Most cameras have the following priority settings: M (manual), A (aperture), S (shutter), and P (professional/ programmed). In Manual mode, the photographer selects the shutter speed and aperture. In Professional or Programmed, the camera selects both for the best photos. The camera is extremely smart, and for many amateur photographers, that’s the only setting they will need.

The aperture acts like the pupil of your eye, opening and closing to let in more

or less light. It is calibrated as f/stops and written as f/ followed by a number.

The smaller the number, the larger the aperture, meaning more light will reach the sensor at f/1.4 than f/16. The f/ stop number also affects what’s called “depth of field.” Simply put, according to Nikon, that’s how sharp or blurry the area in front of or behind your subject will be. A Low f/ number decreases the depth of field creating an image that has a blurred foreground and/or background. Tip: Experiment – that’s the only way to find out the look you like.

Shutter mode allows the photographer to control the shutter speed while the camera selects the aperture for optimum exposure. Think of the shutter as your eyelid. Close your eyes, then open and shut them as fast as you can. This is essentially what the shutter does when a picture is taken. The higher the shutter speed, the less light will get in. A fast shutter speed freezes the moment, while a slower shutter speed shows the blur of movement. Tip: Says Megan, “It’s the balance between a shutter speed that

allows enough light in, while maintaining the ability to stop the motion for those tricky indoor horse shots. Fast shutter speed won’t work if the f-stop is wrong!”

ISO (International Standards Organization) is the camera’s sensitivity to light. Along with f/stop and shutter speed, it’s an element of exposure control. A high ISO allows for increased shutter speed in low light, but it can give pictures a grainy quality referred to as noise. A lower ISO gives a finer quality, sharper image. Tip: Megan recommends starting indoor shots with an ISO of 2500, a low F number and a shutter speed of 350-400.

White balance is a setting that is adjusted based on the light source – such as sunlight, incandescent or fluorescent – and compensates for the color of that light. White balance can be set automatically by the camera, or the photographer can select the tonal quality of the shot. All in all, the white balance sets the temperature of the photo: yellow and warm, or blue and cool.

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GUIDE THE

TIPS. EXPERT ADVICE. SECRETS WORTH STEALING

The Coffee Carrier Paradigm

(Ride Better through CAFFEINE)

“You need to carry your hands in front of the saddle, away from you. It’s just like when you carry hot coffee through the parking lot.

You always carry it extended away from you, so you can steady it. When you get your hands behind the saddle, they pick up the motion of the horse and they move ... Your hands can’t move, only elbows can move.”

PHOTO BY DAVID BLATCHLEY

Olympic Judge Gary Rockwell, from his clinic at Canterbury Stables, Cazenovia

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THE GUIDE: SOLID FOOTING

Is the problem the shoe or the saddle?

Learn to recognize the signs of ill-fitting tack to know what’s behind lameness or movement problems

A

By Steve Kraus s a farrier, I know poor-fitting horseshoes can cause discomfort and lameness. Many times, however, farriers are blamed for lameness or movement problems that are being caused by an ill-fitting saddle.

These problems are: • Lack of forward impulsion • Lameness and injury • Unwilling to turn in tight circles • Refusing to jump • Failure to do extended gaits A saddle that fits well should not have any negative influence on how a horse moves. It should not leave any rub marks or uneven sweat patterns and should keep the rider in a

balanced position. (A saddle that pitches the rider backward, for example, will eventually cause back problems for the horse and change their hind-end stance.)

A saddle that needs a gel pad, riser pad, or any other extra pad other than a normal saddle pad, does not fit properly.

However, it is common to use these extra items when optimum fit can’t be achieved.

Due to the fact that owning many different saddles may be unaffordable to owners who change horses often, there are some creative ways to assure a reasonable saddle fit. One is the adjustable tree. The saddle tree is the ridged part of the saddle that fits over the horse’s withers and rests on the shoulders.

One system is the replaceable gullet. This gullet is an arch shaped piece of steel that comes in different widths, which fit inside a non-ridged tree. Just select the proper gullet width that matches the horse’s withers and install into the saddle.

Another version of the adjustable tree is a system inside the tree that can be opened or closed with a tool provided by the manufacturer. There are also treeless saddles that mold themselves to the horse’s back.

Watching a horse’s behavior while being saddled can give clues to an improper fit.

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Recognizing an improper saddle fit is the key to knowing if there is a problem. Some fitting errors can easily be seen if you are aware of what constitutes a proper saddle fit. Manual inspection can also give indications of fitting problems. Here are some guidelines to determine if a saddle fits properly: • Saddle position. Too far forward pinches the withers and restricts the shoulders, resulting in the horse not moving its front end out of the way (over reaching and forging). Too far back puts weight where it can hurt the horse’s back. Right after a horse has been ridden, look for where there is no sweat under the saddle. That would indicate too much pressure in those areas.

• Wither clearance (saddle points too narrow or too wide): The points are the front of the tree shaped like a fork. Too narrow digs into the shoulder muscles, restricting forward movement.

Too wide lets the saddle rest on the withers causing soreness and rubs. If you see white hairs on the withers, it a sure sign that the saddle has been chronically sitting too low there.

• Panel pressure and contact: By placing your hand, palm up, you can feel under the saddle to see if it is bridging or rocking. There should be even pressure on the underside of the saddle. If not, back problems can occur resulting in altered stance and gait.

• Pommel to cantle relationship: Depending on the type of saddle, the cantle should be higher than the pommel. How much higher depends on saddle type. If the cantle is lower, the saddle does not fit, which pitches the rider backward causing back strains.

• Level seat: The seat should be parallel to the ground, which places the rider squarely on the horse’s back. An unbalanced rider causes gait problems and injury at speed.

• Channel clearance and gullet width: The channel is the long groove down the center of the saddle.

This should be completely clear of the horse’s spine. The saddle should only rest on the long back muscles. Pressure on the spine will cause dramatic movement problems. There should not be any sweat along the horse’s spine if the saddle fits well due to air flow through the channel.

5 SIGNS OF SADDLE PROBLEMS Saddle sores White hairs on the withers Muscle atrophy or hard spots Dry spots after riding rather than even dampness under the saddle Temporary swelling

• Saddle stability with rider: Due to individual conformational differences of horses’ backs, a well-fitted saddle may shift with a rider at speed, jumping, or quick turns like those used in polo or cutting. An unbalanced rider can cause interference problems and create sore spots. A breast collar, over girth, or a belly strap may help this problem.

• Seat length: A saddle should never extend past the last rib, which corresponds to the 18th thoracic vertebrae. Behind this are the lumbar vertebrae, which are the weakest, non-weight bearing structures of the back. A saddle that is too long for the horse’s back can cause hind-end problems that will be misinterpreted as shoeing problems.

• Horse response: Watching a horse’s behavior while being saddled can give clues to an improper fit. If the horse twitches or puts its ears back when approached with a saddle, it is likely the saddle may be causing discomfort.

When horses are trained for different disciplines and work, there are many factors that will influence an individual horse’s ability to perform the best way possible.

Farriers should have the opportunity to see the horses they are shoeing while being ridden to help them either confirm or eliminate saddle fit as a problem. That’s because when a horse owner reports a problem to their farrier, our natural response is to focus on the shoeing aspects that are in our sphere of influence. However, understanding the whole picture is vital to recognize problems and how best to handle them. Appropriate, skillful shoeing needs to be performed in concert not only with saddlery, but bitting, dental care, nutrition, and training methods.

— Steve Kraus, CJF, is head of farrier services at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

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THE GUIDE: 60-SECOND CLINIC

Better Horsemanship in 8 Words “I’d rather have a partner than a slave.”

Susan Harris on the relationship between horse and rider. Harris, of Cortland, is an international Centered Riding clinician, master instructor and the author and illustrator of popular books on horsemanship

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THE GUIDE: HOUSE CALLS

An emergency can happen at any time. Are you ready?

“A

n ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” Benjamin Franklin wrote, and when it comes to equines, Barbara Lindberg is noting, boy was he correct.

“That is so the case with horses,” says Lindberg. “If given the opportunity, they’re going to hurt themselves.”

The first line of defense is prevention: Go through your farm, assessing every area – from barn to pasture to arena – for potential hazards. Is there farm machinery in the pasture, metal or nails sticking out in the barn, buckets hung so a horse can get his foot in it, rocks that need to be picked up in the arena?

“You’d be surprised at what horses can get into,” says Lindberg, director of the Equine Business Management program at Cazenovia College. “You’ve got to walk around your barn with completely new eyes and say ‘Hey, a horse could get hurt on that.’”

The next move is straight from the Boy Scout handbook: Be prepared.

“Preparedness means less will go wrong,” Lindberg says. “It’s the corollary to Murphy’s Law. And Murphy obviously owned horses.”

Before a horse becomes ill or injured, she tells a

Know that it’s time to call the vet if there is:

workshop on equine health care at home, learn how to take a horse’s temperature, pulse and respiration. Know what the normal ranges are: temperature of 99-101 degrees; respiration of 8-20 breaths per minute; pulse of 24-40 beats per minute.

• Uncontrolled bleeding • A fracture • A laceration that goes down to the tendon or the ligament

Have a flashlight,

Have a First Aid kit and keep it stocked

a separate one just for the First Aid kit.

“When do horses tend to get hurt?” Lindberg points out. “At the worst possible time.

It’s night, the wind is howling … and the electricity goes out.

Have a flashlight.”

– don’t borrow from it and hope to replace the item before something goes wrong. The kit should be in a closed container to keep all the materials clean. (Yes, barns get dirty.) Include the dates of your horse’s vaccinations and dewormings. Make sure the veterinarian’s phone number is in there, and it’s a good idea to have it in your cell phone and posted by the barn phone, too.

• Large blunt force trauma to a large muscle mass, for example if the horse has been in a trailer accident • A wound that requires suturing • Injury to the eye • A puncture of unknown depth, especially in the feet “The first rule of First Aid is remain calm,” Lindberg says.

“That’s easier to do when you have all your ducks in a row.”

ASSEMBLE AN EQUINE FIRST AID KIT These are on Barbara Lindberg’s list of the essentials every kit should have.

General equipment: Clippers; flashlight; bandage scissors; hoof pick; clean towels; clean bucket (stainless steel is best); twitch; low-sided black rubber feed tub for soaking a foot; duct tape.

Medical hard goods: Equine

thermometer with string and clip; ice packs; large syringe (60 cc, to squirt solution on a wound); 4X4 gauze and non-stick Telfa pads; roll cotton; sheet cotton; quilts and track bandages; Vetwrap; Elastikon; diapers sized to fit

your horse’s hoof; latex gloves.

Medical supplies: Saline solution; antiseptic solutions – Betadine, Nolvansen etc. – for dilution; wound ointments; eye wash or Boric acid; K-Y Jelly or other water-soluble gel, but not Vaseline.

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THE GUIDE: EXPERT ADVICE

Pressure, luck and other lessons from Mt. Olympics “So many things have to go right ... you need good luck and your horse to stay healthy,” says Eric Lamaze.

He and Fine Lady won bronze in individual jumping in Rio.

“If you start thinking about ‘What if, when, why’ you mess everything up”

T

he Rio Olympics may be over, but the lessons to be learned from the world’s best riders have no expiration date, starting with possibly the most important message of all: The horse comes first. That reminder, from Cazenovia’s Beezie Madden, when she withdrew from team competition after Cortes ‘C’ suffered a tendon injury.

His best interests, she said, must come first: “in this sport, sometimes winning means doing right by your best friend.”

Other words to ride by: Believe in yourself: “You have to be confident, otherwise there’s no point in going into the ring anyway!” Robert Bevis, show jumping, Great Britain There will be pressure – handle it: “When you go in the ring you cannot have all of these thoughts and questions ...

If you start thinking about ‘What if, when, why’ you mess everything up. You should not think such thoughts. Try to stay focused and do your job. You cannot help it if it does not work.” Ludger Beerbaum, show jumping, Germany That’s right, just deal with it: “There is pressure, but it doesn’t achieve anything to let it get to you.” Laura Graves, dressage, USA Don’t sweat what you can’t control: “So many things have to go right … you need good luck and your horse to stay healthy. There’s always the unknown; this sport can bring very bad news very quickly.” Eric Lamaze, showjumping, Canada Because you-know-what happens: “You walk the course so many times, you make so many plans and then you go out and fall over! But that is the nature of the game.” Tim Price, eventing, New Zealand.

Find your driving force: “My biggest fear was letting everyone down … The biggest thing that motivates me is to not fail.” Boyd Martin, eventing, USA What to look for in a showjumper: “They need to have a lot of blood, they need agility and they have to be versatile. They should never look down at the bottom of a fence, they need to carry their eyes level, they need to look and to measure and to know exactly where they are and where they’re going.” Eric Lamaze, showjumping, Canada Ride the horse you have, not the one you wish you had:

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PHOTO BY TONY PARKES/FEI

“Everything is a learning process … and you go with what you have at the moment.” Rebecca Hart, paralympics, USA Always remember your four-legged teammate: “The first thing I do is I say ‘thank you’ to her. And she gets a lot of bananas. She is like a monkey, she loves bananas. So that is my way of rewarding her.” Luciana Diniz, show jumping, Portugal And never forget why you ride: “We have a sport for all ages where men and women compete side by side. There’s nothing quite like the magical partnership between horse and rider.” FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez

THE GUIDE: INFORMED EQUESTRIAN

Selling your horse?

How to tell a true buyer ‘I have had people turn down a wonderful horse … because it was not the right color’

S

By Nikki Alvin-Smith ometimes it’s simple economics.

Sometimes you’ve outgrown your horse, he’s too much for you, or your needs have changed as you cross disciplines.

Whatever the reason, the successful outcome for any horse sale is finding a great new partner for your equine at a price you can accept.

You’ve taken an objective and realistic look at the attributes your horse possesses and been honest about them in the advertisements. Prospective buyers have enough information to decide whether your horse might be a good match – but not so much that they’re overwhelmed – and now the phone has started to ring.

They all say they’re interested in your horse. How do you evaluate who is a true buyer and who is just wasting your time? Based on my years of experience selling horses we have bred and horses we have imported for sale, I have several tips to aid in the diagnosis:

A true buyer will not be content with the information provided on a video or website, they will want to chat with you, the seller. Beware of someone who just emails and wants to come visit.

I always make a point to interview prospective buyers on the phone by suggesting they contact me at their convenience. On the first phone call I ascertain their needs vs. wants, riding experience and temperament. I find out who they train with, if they have a trainer, so I know where my horse will go. Now is the time to be frank and open: If you know your horse is not a good fit, say so. Don’t waste your time or theirs – many riders will appreciate and be grateful for the honesty.

I try to have a second phone contact whenever possible, by suggesting buyers think about our conversation and call back if they feel they’d like to visit the horse. It is a good idea to make notes on buyers as they call, as well as taking down phone numbers/emails for future use.

A true buyer will ask many questions

and not just cursory questions. They will be interested in the history of the horse: Where you bought him; his medical history and condition; his quirks and foibles; and his general nature and

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THE GUIDE: INFORMED EQUESTRIAN disposition in addition to his talent under saddle. A true buyer wants to learn as much as possible about the horse before contemplating a purchase.

On the other hand, there’s the video hound. These are the buyers who have seen a perfectly complete video and always want more. In my experience, sending more and more footage is usually a waste of time. If the rider is a professional or lives a distance away, I may compromise, but in general the video hound is not a true buyer. Serious buyers want to view the horse, they don’t want to spend time on a video and risk missing their opportunity.

As a seller, you can gently explain and educate the buyer in certain aspects, but overall I avoid trying to change the buyer’s mind on their criteria. They will always have doubts on the horse if their original criteria are not met. (I have had people turn down a wonderful horse that totally suited their riding style, temperament and level because it was not the right color. There is no accounting for what goes on in some buyers’ heads and the best thing to do is to simply move on as politely as possible.)

A true buyer will not compromise.

difficult when marketing an advanced horse to protect your horse from zealous riders who try every horse just to say they have ridden a horse at that level.

Remember: You are your horse’s last defense. If a buyer comes to try a horse and I do not believe it is safe or prudent for them to ride him, I have no qualms saying just that. It is for their own and the horse’s well-being.

Most riders are well aware of what’s required and needed in a new equine partner. Bear in mind that some of these desires may be unrealistic – for example a buyer who wants a 2-yearold Warmblood that can walk, trot and canter and is ready to do Training Level -- and they may need to be nudged in the right direction.

A true buyer will not ride the horse if there is no real interest. It is particularly

When you are honest about your horse’s level and ability, the true buyer will ask to see the horse ridden and will not ride the horse just for the sake of it. If they do ride, they should be polite and ride each gait in each direction. If the horse performs at a certain level in any discipline, the buyer should be able to exact that performance level – or get somewhere close, if it is a horse they are to grow into. Do not allow buyers to override the horse, challenge the horse or otherwise cause upset. You will be left with the bad result and you do not want your horse spoiled.

When you find the right match for your horse, and you will, there is no finer feeling. You know that the horse will go on to have a happy life with his new person and that you have done them both good service.

Nikki Alvin-Smith is an international Grand Prix dressage competitor, trainer and clinician. She operates a private horse breeding/training farm in Stamford, NY.

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PARTING SHOT

—Jim Blurton, Rio 2016 Olympic Games Lead Farrier

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PHOTO BY ARND BRONKHORST/FEI

“Broken toes are part of the job, and you get backache from the very first day you start shoeing horses … But there’s incredible job satisfaction. I see farriers as legal equine performance enhancers.”

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