The Plaid Horse July 2022- The Horse Care Issue

NORTH AMERICA’S HORSE SHOW MAGAZINE • PUBLISHED SINCE 2003 • JULY 2022 FEATURING: Equisport Hoof Care • Timberwagon Farm • It Happens • Skylar Wireman • Save America’s

Forgotten Equines Act • Equestrians of Color Photography Project featuring Erica Swank & Mariah Eisenbraun

The Horse Care Issue

COVER STORY

PURINA

Demystifying Your Horse’s Nutritional Needs Dr. Mary Beth Gordon and her horse, Ronbjerg’s Ma Ranelli PHOTOGRAPH BY SOPHIA DONOHUE

$8.99 (ISSN 2573-9409) theplaidhorse.com

Congratulations to Our Over 150 Ponies Sold or Leased in 2021!

PHOTOS © ANDREW RYBACK PHOTOGRAPHY, SHAWN MCMILLEN PHOTOGRAPHY, THE BOOK, MACKENZIE SHUMAN, & GRACE SALMON

Stonewall Farm • Text: 920-889-0028 S TO N E WA L L P O N I E S@YA H O O.C O M • I XO N I A , W I S C O N S I N

Congratulations to Our Over 150 Ponies Sold or Leased in 2021!

PHOTOS © ANDREW RYBACK PHOTOGRAPHY, SHAWN MCMILLEN PHOTOGRAPHY, THE BOOK, MACKENZIE SHUMAN, & GRACE SALMON

Stonewall Farm • Text: 920-889-0028 S TO N E WA L L P O N I E S@YA H O O.C O M • I XO N I A , W I S C O N S I N

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Publisher & Editor-in-Chief:

PIPER KLEMM, PH.D.

Art Direction:

L/BAILEY DESIGN

Online Editor:

CONNECT WITH THE PLAID HORSE WEB: theplaidhorse.com

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Operations Manager:

TYLER BUI

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THE PLAID HORSE

July 2022

PHOTO: ADAM HILL

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NORTH AMERICA’S HORSE SHOW MAGAZINE • PUBLISHED SINCE 2003 • JULY 2022 FEATURING: Equisport Hoof Care • Timberwagon Farm • It Happens • Skylar Wireman • Save America’s

Forgotten Equines Act • Equestrians of Color Photography Project featuring Erica Swank & Mariah Eisenbraun

The Horse Care Issue

COVER STORY

PURINA

Demystifying Your Horse’s Nutritional Needs Dr. Mary Beth Gordon and her horse, Ronbjerg’s Ma Ranelli PHOTOGRAPH BY SOPHIA DONOHUE

$8.99 (ISSN 2573-9409) theplaidhorse.com

Dr. Mary Beth Gordon, a research scientist for Purina

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THE PLAID HORSE

July 2022

The

JULY PLAID HORSE

2022

The Horse Care Issue 24

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Five-Year Plans

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Piper Klemm, Ph.D.

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COMMUNITY

How Were You Taught to Take Your Left Foot Out of the Stirrup While Dismounting?

SPOTLIGHT

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SPOTLIGHT

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82

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Timberwagon Farm and Balanced Equine Bodyworks

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Ann Jamieson

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Tyler Bui

RIDERS

It Happens! With Mindy Coretz and Maria Costa INITIATIVE

Equestrians of Color Photography Project: Mariah Eisenbraun and Erica Swank

HORSES

Five Strides with Chance Ste Hermelle Via her rider Natalie Dean

COVER STORY

Purina: Demystifying Your Horse’s Nutritional Needs

All About the Save America’s Forgotten Equines Act

Jill Brammer Photography, Purple Horse Designs, and Alaina Hower Photography

BOOK EXCERPT

“Monday Morning’’ from For the Love of the Horse, Volume III

INITIATIVE

Margie Sloan

Tyler Bui

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HORSES

American Bred: Quatar Tori Sheehan

Equisport Hoof Care Tyler Bui

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Margie Sloan

SPOTLIGHT

Alltech: Reading Between the Lines on Your Horse’s Feed Tag

HORSES

Merlin & The Foal

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RIDERS

The Plaid Horse Questionnaire: Skylar Wireman

July 2022

THE PLAID HORSE

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Five-Year Plans I WAS BOARDING a plane the other night and

as I boarded, the flight attendants were chatting with each other. “Only 1,753 days until I retire.”

The other flight attendant laughed. They caught my eye and I smiled. Almost there!

Only… Five More Years. It seems like…forever.

In our world of “instant,” we forget so much.

I don’t often think in terms of the five year scale. I certainly don’t count down. It’s not that I haven’t—clearly I did long bouts of school and I’m over eight years in on The Plaid Horse and feel like I’m only getting stronger, better, and more interested in bettering the community. That happened day by day, without any

grand plan or vision. Just incremental improvement each and every morning that I woke up and got to work.

The flight attendant’s comment also caused me to think about counting down to the end of a career. We’ll all work until we drop in this industry—I think we all know that and plan for that. I’ve aspired to be an aged horse show junkie still showing up and contributing in any capacity I am able. I hope to be throwing out deserved compliments while smelling leather, fly spray, and sweat in a sandy ring until the end.

We are so lucky to have a passion that makes us wake up and want to come to work—an

Piper Klemm and Adam Hill present the Richard W. Atkinson Memorial Challenge Trophy with Holly (née Atkinson) Bernhard at The Devon Horse Show to Mimi Gochman. The Atkinson Memorial Trophy is awarded to the leading Junior Jumper rider and presented to the athlete who earns the most points overall and showcases consistency throughout Junior Weekend at the Devon Horse Show.

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July 2022

PHOTO: KIND MEDIA

“As a showjumper and member of the Exceptional Proficiency program, I spend three to four months away from school each year. I have now been away from school for one month and in all my years of prolonged absences at different schools, I have never felt more loved and looked after than I do at Foxcroft.”

— Wilhelmina M. ’23

©SportFot

Exceptional Talent Deserves an Exceptional School Developing a talent takes concentrated focus, discipline, and time — lots and lots of time. Foxcroft School’s Exceptional Proficiency (EP) program enables a student with demonstrated talent and passion — like showjumpers Wilhelmina and Virginia — to spend time away from school to train, compete, and pursue her personal dream, while receiving the academic support to fulfill our high educational standards.

Past participants of the Exceptional Profiency program also include:

©Shelby Bonnie

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PUBLISHER’S NOTE

all-consuming passion. And while we might fatigue or not always feel the most confident in our path, there is true privilege that comes with lifelong expressions of self.

But thinking on that scale is something we all have to practice in today’s world. I think we are past a time (if there ever was a time) that we can get by being purposeful and without mindful thought.

Long-scale is the only way we can truly accomplish big projects— making careers, making horses, and giving riders the tools they need to be successful in all aspects of this sport. Long scale is how

we make communities, raise children, and spend our entire lives.

This is how we make impact and intention and belief can turn into reality and change.

I pondered for most of the flight where I will be in 1,753 days. How I could last something that was unpleasant for that long to see the light at the end of the tunnel. How fortunate I am that I don’t have to wait to start my life. I spend my days around the people and animals who, when I put in enough effort, reward me with such joy.

What am I waking up and doing tomorrow? Well, more of the same.

And hopefully 1,753 days after that.

And 1,753 days after that. And if I’m lucky, I’ll still get to go to work each morning with a smile and without a clock over my head. If I’m lucky, I’ll be fortunate enough to be a little inefficient here and there to enjoy each moment more. If I’m lucky, you’ll all be there with me.

Piper Klemm, PHD TPH PUBLISHER Follow me on Instagram at @piperklemm

Piper Klemm and Adam Hill present Leadline awards and prizes at The Devon Horse Show on behalf of Belle and Bow Equestrian.

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July 2022

PHOTOS: RANDOLPH PR

THE PLAID HORSE COMMUNITY

The Plaid Horse Adult Amateur Lounge on Facebook is 7,300 members strong! Come join us for all types of discussion, like one thread this month where a member asked:

How Were You Taught to Take Your Left Foot Out of the Stirrup While Dismounting?

I dismount with a mounting block, so left foot stays in. Right leg comes over and steps down first. Just like mounting only in reverse.

I take both feet out and swing a leg over. I don’t leave my left foot in the stirrup because (1) you’re in a position that if something happened you might have an unpleasant dismount and (2) I feel it’s kinder for the horse’s back.

—KRISTI BOYD

—SARAH MARGARET HUGHES LACY

Interesting! My whole life I’ve left my left foot in the stirrup until my right foot swings around and then kick my left foot out and drop down.

But my weight is very much leaning against the horse. I started riding western as a kid, so maybe that’s why. Oddly, I also feel MORE secure that way since I can swing back ON easily if something adverse happens. But I think some of that reaction comes from not riding in an arena much as a kid.

Both feet out before dismounting. It causes the least stress/torque on the horse’s back, and you’re less likely to get hung up if the horse spooks/moves while dismounting.

How I was taught vs how I do it are two different things. Taught both feet out, swing off. But after breaking my left hip and tearing up my left knee at 18, I always leave that foot in the stirrup, clear my right leg, and once they’re both on the same side of the horse, I’ll drop the stirrup and slide off.

—CHRISTIE DAVIS

—RACHAEL LANDMAN

—LISA COWAN

At 73, I have to leave my left foot in the stirrup to swing my right foot. I make sure my horses are good about standing still for my long process! —JOAN WESTAWAY ALBERTI

Both feet out of stirrups swing right leg over to dismount. Personally, I feel very unsafe if I leave my foot in the stirrup to dismount.

I DISMOUNT ON THE RIGHT TO KEEP THINGS EVEN SINCE I USUALLY MOUNT ON THE LEFT.

I do leave the left foot in while swinging the right leg over. I would prefer not to for safety reasons, but after a few injuries? It’s simply what is best on my body.

—JENNIFER WILDA

—PIPER KLEMM

—MARGARET CLUFF

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SPOTLIGHT

FIVE TIPS FOR ...

Reading Between the Lines on Your Horse’s Feed Tag WHEN YOU GO to any feed store or online retailer, it’s easy to feel

overwhelmed by the thousands of choices you have for horse feeds and supplements. As an involved horse owner, no doubt you have spent time researching and choosing the feed and supplements that make sense, or in many cases, you may have worked with your trainer or barn manager to make a suitable choice that serves most of the horses in your barn.

But have you considered the feed tag? Rather than focusing on the marketing claims listed on the front of the bag, the often-overlooked, plain white feed tag—sometimes sewn into the bag of feed or printed on the back—is key.

By law, commercial feeds must have specific information listed on the tag or bag. Each state has laws and regulations governing the sale of commercial feeds, including the definition of commercial feeds and items that are exempt from that classification. A typical feed tag will list the product name, a guaranteed analysis, the ingredient list, the name and address of the manufacturer or distributor, feeding directions and the net weight.

It is important to note, however, that supplement labels are not as closely regulated by a governing agency, so some of the claims made can feel a bit like the Wild West.

The good news is that with some quick education (as outlined below), you can take a more straightforward approach to choosing the best product for your best friends.

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TIP 1

UNDERSTAND WHAT THE GUARANTEED ANALYSIS TELLS YOU

PHOTO: SHELLEY PAULSON (TOP)

This may be an unpopular opinion, but the guaranteed analysis often receives more credit than it deserves.

The guaranteed analysis does not tell you anything about specific ingredients, but rather guarantees that certain nutrient levels—typically in a range, with a minimum and a maximum

level—will be included in each bag. Ingredient prices, fluctuations due to the weather, the season, and other variables can easily change the composition of a bag of feed, especially if that feed does not have a fixed formula. Since rapid diet changes are not ideal for equine gut health, feed companies guarantee nutrient levels.

July 2022

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SPOTLIGHT

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) requires that the guaranteed analysis on horse feed tags includes the following: Crude protein Crude fiber Crude fat Acid detergent fiber Neutral detergent fiber Calcium Phosphorus Copper Zinc Selenium Vitamin A You will notice that lysine and non-structural carbohydrates are not requirements of the AAFCO, but they can be guaranteed at the manufacturer’s discretion, and the levels may be determined based on individual state regulations.

Two feeds may have the same or similar guaranteed analyses, but the actual feeds may be very different. As McCauley Bros. Feed equine nutritionist Amy Parker explains, “The guaranteed analysis simply reveals the guaranteed concentration of nutrients (protein, fat, fiber, minerals, etc.) in the feed. When a sample of the feed is tested, the level of nutrients must not be less than the minimum amount guaranteed or more than the maximum.”

So, if many guaranteed analyses look similar, how does anyone manage to choose the best horse feed? As it turns out, there is quite a bit of information that cannot be found on the tag’s guaranteed analysis alone.

“The guaranteed analysis does not provide information about ingredient quantity or quality,” says Parker.

“Thus, two feeds may have the same guaranteed analysis but contain very different ingredients.”

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TIP 2

READ THE COMPLETE INGREDIENT LIST With Parker’s advice in mind, the second way to find more in-depth information involves reading the entire ingredient list on the feed tag. While this sounds boring — and sometimes a bit overwhelming — it can be quite eye-opening.

Ingredients may be listed individually by specific name (e.g., oats, corn, barley) or by collective terms for the grouping of the ingredient (e.g., grain products). Collective terms may be used when trying to keep a formula or portion of the formula confidential due to the uniqueness of the product or ingredients. When asked,

manufacturers will often tell the customer the main ingredient(s) in the feed and explain why collective terms are used.

Other reasons for using collective terms are to shorten the ingredient list or when least-cost formulating.

Least-cost formulating means that the ingredients in the feed change with fluctuating ingredient costs. Leastcost formulating can occur whether the ingredient list uses individual or collective terms. Unfortunately, such practices are not in the best interest of the horse. In extreme cases, changing the concentration of ingredients due to least-cost formulating is the same as switching to a

new feed. It also means that the horse’s digestive tract usually has little to no time to adjust to the “new” feed, which may lead to decreased feed intake, digestive upset, and/or colic.

Inquiring about the manufacturer’s formulation practices is one of the best safeguards against leastcost formulations.

Besides individual grain quality, some grains are better for horses than others. For instance, oats are typically the grain of choice for horse feeds.

Oats are relatively high in fiber and are not as prone to harmful molds and mycotoxins as many other grains, such as corn.

TIP 3

DECODE THE MINERALS USED IN THE FEED OR SUPPLEMENT Minerals are the backbone of the horse’s body (literally!), making up every organ, tissue and cell. While they only make up a very tiny percentage of a horse’s daily intake, they play a role in every single body system, from skeletal and muscular development to nervous system function, along with hair and hoof health.

While minerals are only present in very small quantities in a bag of feed, they are crucially important for your horse’s overall performance, which is why their bioavailability is so important. Bioavailability has to do with the rate in which they are absorbed and utilized in the body.

Organic trace minerals (e.g., zinc, copper, cobalt and manganese) are absorbed at higher levels and are more readily utilized by the horse because they are presented in a form that mimics the form in which minerals are found in nature.

On the feed tag, organic minerals will be listed as the mineral name, followed by the word “proteinate,” “methionine” or “amino acid complex” (for example: zinc proteinate).

You can easily spot inorganic minerals because they will be listed as the mineral name followed by the words “oxide” or “sulfate.” For instance, the ingredient “zinc oxide” is an inorganic version of zinc, which is both cheaper and less

conducive to optimal horse health and performance.

Horses are unable to store large amounts of excess minerals in their bodies, and research has shown that exceeding 100% of their mineral requirements results in higher mineral excretion (i.e., mineral-rich manure), which has important environmental implications.

Alltech senior equine nutritionist Dr. Mieke Holder notes, “Research has shown that providing high levels of trace minerals in horses’ diets also increases the levels of phosphorus that leach from the feces of horses consuming those diets. Given that phosphorus is an element of great environmental concern, it is crucial that minerals are not only fed at the appropriate levels but are provided in bioavailable forms as well. When organic minerals are absorbed at higher levels, that also means that fewer minerals are excreted, which can help protect the environment and preserve water quality.” (Source: https://doi.

The good news is that with some quick education, you can take a more straightforward approach to choosing the best product for your best friends.

TIP 4

LOOK FOR THE FORM OF SELENIUM SUPPLIED Selenium is also considered a trace mineral, and in horses it is especially noteworthy because too much—or too little—can be detrimental and even fatal.

Selenium is a highly important mineral in the antioxidant pathway, which is why it is crucial for recovery, endurance, and metabolism.

For example, glutathione peroxidase, a seleniumdependent antioxidant enzyme, displayed increased activity after exercise in horses that were fed Sel-Plex®, Alltech’s organic selenium (versus horses who received inorganic selenium in

the form of sodium selenite).

Organic selenium is a hugely important component of the performance horse’s diet, as it helps combat muscle damage from the free radicals associated with exercise and metabolism.

Inorganic selenium is easy to spot on feed tags and will be listed as “sodium selenite.” Organic selenium, on the other hand, will be listed as “selenium yeast.”

Again, be careful: Some feeds use a mix of both types of selenium. Choose feeds that contain only 100% selenium yeast for the best results.

org/10.3390/su11247107)

Read the feed tag to check the feed’s trace mineral status.

It is important to closely read the entire list of ingredients because many feed companies will use a mix of organic and inorganic minerals. Ideally, choose a feed that contains 100% organic zinc, copper, cobalt, and manganese.

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SPOTLIGHT

TIP 5

CHECK FOR ANY EXTRA INGREDIENTS TO SUPPORT GUT HEALTH FOR HORSES Your final task in reading the ingredient list on the horse feed tag is to check for any bonuses. Think of this like the prize at the bottom of the Cracker Jack box.

One example of this is added prebiotics and probiotics for horses, but again, caution is necessary: Not all gut health ingredients are created equal, and there are many considerations that should be taken into account, from the strain of bacteria to its viability.

The stress that performance horses are subject to in the forms of training, travel, new environments and more can absolutely impact their gut microbiome and cause digestive upset.

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Additionally, the need for glucose—like non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs)—to power exercise is a reality for many performance horses. Gut nutrients, such as prebiotics and probiotics, can help minimize digestive distress and maximize safe feedings, travel and training days.

Look on the feed tag for ingredients such as “yeast culture,” “hydrolyzed yeast,” “dried brewer’s yeast” or any specific strain of probiotic bacteria. These ingredients can increase your horse’s ability to fully digest and utilize the feed (thanks to beneficial bacteria) while also potentially saving you from having to purchase additional equine supplements.

July 2022

A FINAL WORD While there is a lot more information that you can glean from a horse feed tag, start by looking for the five elements listed in the tips above.

It’s no secret that performance horses endure stress. What we sometimes forget, however, is that this stress can impact almost every system in an animal’s body, from its digestive system to its musculoskeletal system. A well-rounded approach to managing performance horses includes taking all of these systems into consideration.

The key to feeding performance horses is moderation. No one ingredient or nutrient is beneficial when there is either a deficiency or an excess of it. Use common sense, pay attention to your horse’s behavior and cues, and, if possible, consult with a skilled equine nutritionist.

To learn more about Alltech’s full line of equine offerings, from their complete feeds to their high-quality line of Lifeforce™ premium equine supplements, visit alltechequine.com.

PHOTO: ANDREW RYBACK PHOTOGRAPHY (TOP)

SPOTLIGHT

EQUISPORT HOOF CARE WORDS: TYLER

BUI

Helping Horses Succeed from the Ground Up

PROPER HOOF CARE is essential to any horse’s overall well-being,

but when it comes to hunter/jumper athletes, even the slightest change in shoeing can make a huge impact on their performance.

Dave Gilliam of Equisport Hoof Care focuses on not just the hooves of his hunter jumpers, but also their overall soundness and success in the ring.

Gilliam has had great success in the hunter/jumper world. In 2021 alone, he had worked on eight WEF circuit champions, and more than a dozen reserve or grand champions during the fall indoor championships at Capital Challenge, Harrisburg, Washington International, and Kentucky. He has also had the privilege of working with some of the most elite hunter/jumper riders and horses, including those competing in the Olympics and World Equestrian Games from various countries, and multiple USEF hunter Horse of the Year winners and WCHR Champions.

One of Gilliam’s highest performing clients is Bill Schuab’s Over The Hill Farm, where he maintains the hoof care of numerous top hunters and jumpers.

“Working with Bill is a pleasure. Aside from being just a nice man and good person, Bill runs one of the top programs

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in the country,” says Gilliam. “At OTH, they strive to have each horse and rider at their very best, which translates to allowing me to do my best job, as I have consistent feedback and information.”

Gilliam has been around animals his entire life. As a teenager, he began working as an apprentice for a close friend who had begun his career as a farrier.

“I didn’t think that was the direction I was going to go with my career—my major was agriculture business so I thought I would get into that line of work as I did a lot of farming growing up,” Gilliam tells The Plaid Horse.

“Something excited me about the idea of being able to work with animals on a daily basis as a farrier—being your own boss, and being able to see the improvements you can make helping a horse. It’s really rewarding being able to help the animal, not only from a lameness perspective but

also with their show ring success. Making a sound horse better is what I like to say.”

He has now been a farrier for almost 28 years, focusing on hunter/jumper athletes on the circuit. In the first ten years of his career, Gilliam gravitated more towards the Western arena, as he rode cutting and roping horses growing up; but after getting a glimpse of the hunter/jumper world, he found a new love for the sport.

“I didn’t really start working on hunter/ jumpers until my mid-thirties,” he says. “I was asked to be a show farrier for a local hunter/jumper show, and I spent a couple days watching these athletes and was just blown away by what they could do.”

“To me, hunter/jumpers are the ultimate athletes as far as a horse goes. There are so many variables to consider for these horses…landing from a jump, for instance, you need to give the proper support to the tendon structures and ligaments to maintain and support the horse.”

IT’S ALL IN THE DETAILS From the horse’s conformation to the footing in the ring, each and every element matters to Gilliam. He always plans ahead, managing shoeing schedules based on competition schedules, and spends time watching the horses in the ring himself.

“Watching the horses, talking to the

PHOTOS: COURTESY DAVE GILLIAM

July 2022

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37

SPOTLIGHT

“Just because a horse is sound, it doesn’t mean he’s moving his best. It’s about encouraging and striving for better.” —DAVE GILLIAM, EQUISPORT HOOF CARE trainers— the communication aspect is so important. Every horse is different, and every rider rides differently. You can take the same horse, but if you have an amateur or a professional riding it, how that horse moves is different with each rider,” says Gilliam. To date, he has worked on eight WEF circuit champions, more than a dozen Indoors champions, and multiple Grand Prix and Hunter Derby winners.

“Say you have a horse that is coming into the jump too tight and can’t get out of the way of himself. You can do things like speeding the front end up so it’s out of the way. You can also slow the hind end down, so there’s multiple ways of addressing that problem. We can lengthen stride, and we can do that with how we set the horse up with shoeing. We can truly make a horse move as good as we want, it’s about understanding the biomechanical aspect of how the horse moves and being able to manipulate it to get what you need, and there are so many variables you can implement to get you there.”

Not only does Gilliam maintain close relationships with his clients and trainers, but he also works closely with their veterinarians. By doing so, he hopes to maintain the horse’s overall soundness and prevent injuries from occurring before they present themselves.

“A common phrase is ‘if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.’ But as a farrier, we see the horse so much more than their veterinarian,” says Gilliam. “I try to work from a proactive position, so when I see problems developing, I take it upon myself with the veterinarian to fix it before it becomes a problem.

Working with the veterinarians, I’ve learned what not being proactive can lead to. My perspective has changed to address things I see show up and incorporate the veterinarian into what I’m doing as far as a shoeing change because of what I see.”

“There’s an old school thought that if the horse is injured they should be on stall rest, but with the abilities and tools we have in this day and age, we

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can be understanding of the injury, shoe according so you’re accomodating to what that injury needs, but also allow that horse to maintain a training program,” he adds. “Of course, if it’s a major issue or strain then the horse will have to be put on stall rest. But if it’s a mild issue that you can unload and isolate that injury so it can rehab, and have the ability to go out and train and show, that’s a big deal.

It’s a balancing act of fixing a therapeutic issue with the performance of the horse, and allowing them to still move well. You can have the best of both worlds, you can keep the horse moving and performing the way it is now but also address the problem that is brewing that’s going to be a big problem in the future.”

NEVER STOP LEARNING In addition to his 28 years of experience, Gilliam was one of twelve students in the U.S. to graduate first from the Royal Veterinary Colleges Equine Locomotor and Research Program. He believes that continuing education opportunities are crucial to the industry, as collaboration and research can only improve the impact that a farrier has on the performance of a horse.

“Four years ago, there were thousands of research papers about the hoof on the veterinary side but very little research done on the hoof by farriers. I jumped on the chance to study in this program when it had never been offered to farriers before,” says Gilliam. “This opportunity came around and it taught hands-on about biomechanics and locomotion, which gives you insight into understanding how the horse moves and allows you to do things like lengthening a horse’s stride or speeding the front end up because you understand how it all works.

We also learned how to conduct and produce research to put out there and be peer-reviewed like large research studies.”

Gilliam is also the President of the American Association of Equine

Soundness Professionals, which he founded in 2015 and has grown to now have around 300 members, with veterinarians from Olympic teams and some of the most well-respected farriers worldwide.

“The purpose behind it was that there’s not a lot of focus on the lower limb of the horse,” says Gilliam. “It’s mainly about collaboration between the farrier and veterinary industries to work together to understand it. Just because a horse is sound, it doesn’t mean he’s moving his best. It’s about encouraging and striving for better. Just because we reach a certain level doesn’t mean we can’t reach another level.”

Gilliam will spend the 2022-23 winter circuit in Wellington and then will travel from Kentucky to the east coast during the summer to care for his client’s horses.

He aims to do everything in his power to keep his horses and clients in the ring performing at their highest level, and goes the extra mile to ensure no issue is being overlooked.

“My philosophy is to be proactive,” says Gilliam. “You should always invest and take the time to watch the horse move. From a lameness perspective, I say to load the good and unload the bad. If something is not comfortable in the horse, there’s a lameness issue. You learn to unload that and load the good structures so the horse can rehab but still continue on with its daily routine of showing and training. These horses are athletes, so you have to set them up to be able to perform to be an athlete.”

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SPOTLIGHT

“COMFORTABLE,

HAPPY, & SECURE”

How Timberwagon Farm’s passion for horses became a business that owners can trust WORDS: TYLER

BUI

SONJA BOORMAN has created the ideal equine wellness and

retirement center. Combining her love for horses and science, she has developed Timberwagon Farm and Balanced Equine Bodyworks—two businesses with a mission to bring the highest level of comfort and relief for horses.

Boorman grew up as a working student in North Carolina, exchanging her hard work for riding opportunities. At the time, she envisaged a career with horses, but ultimately got pulled into a more traditional career. After graduating from college, graduate school, and ultimately beginning her life as an adult, Boorman reconnected with the horse industry after her daughter began riding.

“After we bought my daughter a pony I finally started riding again, initially at a small local barn and then moving to a more competitive show barn where we got to see the top of the sport and how these show horses are managed,” says Boorman.

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“My husband and I always had the idea that we would retire on some land and build a farm, so around 15 years ago, we bought this chunk of land which is now Timberwagon Farm in North Carolina.

Ultimately, we accelerated our business plan by about five years when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. We’re getting back to doing heart work—work that feels good versus my former corporate job that comes with lots of pressure and stress with it. ” The farm is set on 27 acres and features a brand new stable, fit with 12x12 matted stalls, a tack room, and a washroom. They have acres of pastures cultivated for diverse forage grasses, and their own personal

home is only 100 steps away from the barn, ensuring that their client’s horses will always be cared for under a watchful eye.

“Timberwagon Farm is a wellness and and retirement facility. It’s an incredibly peaceful location, and it’s only 45 minutes from the North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine,” says Boorman.

“I wanted horse owners to have a place where their horse could recuperate and also have the confidence that someone caring is going to really focus on their horse. We’re a small farm with a limited capacity, so it’s really boutique-focused care with one-on-one attention for the horses so they can get exactly what they

Sonja and her personal horse Ned BOTTOM LEFT: View of the newly built barn from one of the lush pastures

need. Coming from the experience with my daughter’s horse and seeing that these horses undergo so much pressure, I came to understand that they’re athletes and they get injured sometimes.”

Each horse at Timberwagon Farm has a plan customized to their needs and personality—while some horses may enjoy more turnout, others may need more enrichment and other forms of exercise.

“I want the horses to be cared for at the highest level possible so their mental and physical health is fully supported,” she says. “That’s in conjunction with whatever the prescribed program is from their veterinarians, whether it’s stall rest

PHOTO: KARINDA K (TOP)

or hand walking or 24/7 pasture turnout and then integrated program into that is my own view of the observed benefit of bodywork. Horses that are laid up will build up tension because their physiology is designed to be moving. Integrating a weekly massage into the routine for a horse on stall rest can really make him feel much more comfortable and loose.”

She continues, “For example, I have one mare now who is on prescribed stall rest. However, to support her mental health and well-being I take her for a daily handgraze. She gets regular targeted MagnaWave and cold laser therapy for her injury, as well as weekly relaxation

massage. She arrived really stressed out, very grouchy about being cooped up.

Now she has settled into this peaceful routine and seems quite content.”

THE BODYWORK DIFFERENCE Boorman has always been interested in equine bodywork, and over the years she started to see more types of therapy emerge on the show circuit—which led her to begin taking classes and getting her certification for equine massage therapy.

Today, Boorman now has several years of experience, working with around 20 barns and has grown her business to now offer a wide range of equine therapy treatments.

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SPOTLIGHT

The Barn is airy and well lit.

At the time of printing, half of the stalls of the new facility were filled with horses needing time off, specialized recovery care, or legging up

“The first thing I want clients to know is that your horse is going to be safe. The second thing I want you to know is that I’m going to care for your horse and love your horse like you would.” —SONJA BOORMAN “I’m a scientist by training—I have a Doctorage degree in geochemistry, and I’m very interested in the science behind how equine musculature works, how toxins build up in the muscles, how to relieve the pressure, and how interconnected the whole “soft tissue” system is with horses,” says Boorman. “It’s incredibly emotionally and intellectually fulfilling for me to spend all this time working on horses.”

“When I think about a horse in work, they are athletes, and we’re asking them to do more than they would do in nature,” she adds. “Horses are such amazing creatures and so uniquely suited to partner with us, but almost every horse I’ve worked on carries the tension of what we’re asking them to do. When we resolve that tension, we can really increase their comfort and their ability to perform. I think people underestimate the importance of bodywork and allowing the horse to move in an unrestricted way to do the things we ask of them comfortably. If you

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take that philosophy and broaden it to a horse that has sustained a soft tissue injury a holistic and integrated approach can really support their recovery and recuperation.”

The core of Balanced Equine Bodyworks is massage therapy–from relaxation therapy to deep trigger point massage, Boorman works to release tension and toxins from the muscles.

From myofascial release, to cranialsacral therapy, to myomanipulative massage, there are all kinds of massage techniques that can be useful to the horse.

“As with humans, some horses prefer gentle touch, some horses prefer a firm touch. It’s through watching the horse’s response when I’m doing the actual massage that I judge and move forward as I work through their body, I identify some specific areas of tension or restriction. As I identify those areas of tension, I select different additional tools or techniques that may be beneficial,” says Boorman.

“For example, multispectral cold laser

therapy has a variety of benefits for different kinds of issues and it’s FDA approved for use in humans for a variety of soft tissue injuries. There’s a very large body of research and professional associations that support and bring education and references to the use of the laser.”

Another popular popular wellness modality that Boorman uses regularly is the MagnaWave PEMF. “MagnaWave can enhance equine performance, and support health maintenance and recovery. PEMF has beneficial effects in alleviating equine tendon and ligament injuries, sore muscles and joints, along other concerns by PEMF encouraging the body to recovery naturally. The MagnaWave is a high-powered PEMF machine that promotes cellular exercise, which increases circulation, blood oxygenation, and helps the body recovery naturally, while reducing inflammation, and, relieving pain” she says. “I have targeted approaches I use for supporting the body’s natural recovery process for known injuries – but it is also lovely for general muscle soreness and supporting relaxation.”

As Boorman continues to expand her businesses, she remains focused on her goal to provide the most personalized, therapeutic care for her clients. Living on the property, she is able to provide the 24/7 care that some horses may require and put the minds of her clients at ease.

“The first thing I want clients to know is that your horse is going to be safe.

The second thing I want you to know is that I’m going to care for your horse and love your horse like you would—I can provide a visual update every day so you can see how he’s doing and have visual confidence that everything is going well.

I will give your horse special scratches and kisses and all the attention you would. Thirdly, if you have a veterinarian involved, I will work closely with your vet to make sure that we’re sticking with the best plan. I will be your horse’s parent and advocate. I’m passionate about wanting the horses to be comfortable, happy, and secure.”

For more information, visit balancedequine.net, email timberwagonfarm@gmail.com or follow them on Instagram @timberwagon_farm and @ balanced_equine_bodyworks

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Ann Jamieson and Baloutinue, the silver-medal winning Tokyo Olympian, ridden by Laura Kraut

WHEN HIS LONG, but not particularly

illustrious, racing career ended with a bowed tendon, Monday Morning was sent to the slaughterhouse. At least, that was the plan. Two trucks pulled up to the barn Monday was housed in. One was headed to the killers. The other one was taking some mares that had been purchased as broodmares to their new home.

Reprinted with permission from Ann Jamieson

46

Monday got on the truck with the mares.

When Monday got off the truck at the new place, the owner looked at him and thought, “Well, he’s awful pretty, but he’s not a mare.” With his nearly black coat and beautiful eye, Monday was stunning. The mares moved into their new home. So did Monday.

Monday’s bowed tendon made him dead lame. Luckily, because of his beauty and his sweetness, the woman decided to keep him. She rested him for a year to give the leg a chance to heal.

The time off worked. Monday came back sound and ready for a new career. When he started back in work, his owner discovered she had

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July 2022

a horse with extraordinary talent.

Although she realized she didn’t have the money to bring him along and unleash his potential, she knew exactly who to call. She had heard about Andrew Lustig, a young trainer who worked with hunters and ponies. Taking a rescued

off-the-track racehorse (Conversation Piece), Andrew had shown him to Horse of the Year honors in the hunters. He was the man she wanted.

With him, Monday would have a chance at greatness.

Monday’s first brush with death was merely the start of a series of occurrences which would prove Monday catlike in the number of lives he had.

He was shipped down to Jacksonville, Florida, from New York in 1993, the year and the exact time of The Perfect Storm (The Storm of the Century). The two-horse trailer carrying Monday, clipped and without a blanket, got stuck in a snowdrift on the highway. Fearing for his life, his owner took him off the

“Andrew was in for the shock of his life. Instead of running away with Andrew, Baxter was instantly perfect and seemed to know exactly what to do.

He acted as if he had been showing his whole life.” trailer and they started walking, searching for a warm place for the night. After a mile or so she found a barn and walked up to the house, where she asked the farmer for help. He had horse blankets and a barn for Monday. For the second time, Monday cheated death.

The farmer’s name was Baxter; in honor of his hospitality, Monday’s owner gave him that name.

When Baxter arrived safely in Florida, Andrew instantly liked him and arranged for a client of his to purchase him. Andrew would train the horse for free, in exchange for fifty percent interest in him.

At their first show, when he and Andrew entered the schooling area, Baxter reverted to the only job he truly knew. He raced every horse in the area, flat out running away. Andrew never made it to the show ring.

At the second show, the same thing happened. Baxter ran away with Andrew in the schooling ring.

By the third show, the owner was sick and tired of paying the bills on a horse who never showed.

Andrew was told to enter the ring or he would lose the ride on Baxter.

He complied. Andrew was in for the shock of his life. Instead of running away with Andrew, Baxter was instantly perfect and seemed to know exactly what to do. He acted as if he had been showing his whole life. Andrew was shocked: he has never before or since had a similar experience with another horse.

Baxter won that class, and thereafter won every class in the Pre-Green division. His bravery and classic jumping style were indisputable.

“He is,” says Andrew, “the bravest horse I’ve ever ridden in my life.” Baxter finished the season as circuit champion in the Pre-Green Hunters in Ocala.

Then, as often happens in the horse industry, Andrew and the client parted company. Unfortunately,

Andrew had no written contract with his client, so he had no proof that the horse was half his. Baxter left his barn, leaving Andrew heartbroken. Andrew had lost “the most incredible horse I’ve ever worked with.”

The new trainer moved the horse into the jumper divisions.

Baxter looked like a lunatic, and in addition sported a bloody mouth from the cruel bit he wore. Once again, the horse had hit a bad spot, and things only got worse when his owner went broke and quit paying Baxter’s board.

The owner of the farm where Baxter lived knew nothing about horses. When he did not receive his board fees, he went to his lawyer for advice. The lawyer obviously didn’t know anything about horses either.

He recommended that Baxter not be turned out in the field, or ridden. Since “possession is nine tenths of the law,” if the owner were to steal Baxter out of the field, the farm owner would never retrieve his board fees.

The end result was that Baxter ended up no longer in a horse barn, but in a chicken coop where the roof was so low he couldn’t even lift his head. Baxter lived like that for eight months.

Once again, the horse teetered on the edge of existence. His weight and condition had dropped until he was nothing but a skeleton coated in filthy skin, pockmarked with oozing sores. When Baxter was auctioned off on the court house steps, his life was spared yet again.

Andrew was there to save him.

Monday’s full story is available in For the Love of the Horse, Volume III, along with dozens of other remarkable true stories.

To order a copy, or any of the four volumes, email Ann at annjamieson23@ gmail.com. Or you can sign up for a subscription to ahorseinyourinbox.com, where you can read Monday’s story along with over a hundred more, and a new one every week in your inbox.

learn more

www.americanequestrian.school

COVER STORY

Demystifying Your Horse’s Nutritional Needs

PURINA How cutting-edge science, research, and innovation set the brand’s feed and supplements apart WORDS: TYLER

50

BUI

PORTRAITS BY:

THE PLAID HORSE

SOPHIA DONAHUE

July 2022

Dr. Mary Beth Gordon and her horse, Ronbjerg’s Ma Ranelli, enjoying some connection and treats

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“How you feed and hydrate and exercise your horse can make a huge difference in their life.”

—MARY BETH GORDON, PH.D, Senior Director of Equine Technical Innovation

A morning walk at the Purina Animal Nutrition Center

Employee Mike Jerina, checking in on some horses at the Equine Research Facility in Missouri

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PHOTOS: COURTESY OF PURINA ANIMAL NUTRITION

COVER STORY

E

QUINE NUTRITION is constantly evolving, and the number of nutritional products available to horse owners only continues to grow. While supplements and specialized feeds are common practice, do most people in the equine industry really know what they’re feeding their horses?

From horses to cattle to companion animals, Purina Animal Nutrition is known for its wide range of feed options and supplements. Mary Beth Gordon, Ph.D, is the Senior Director of Equine Technical Innovation at Purina. She is a driving force behind the research and creation of these specialized products, and has been with the company for the past 17 years.

Ruby living her best life, participating in a palatability trial for a new feed

Gordon began riding horses at age ten, and has extensive experience in the hunter/jumper, dressage, and eventing disciplines. She graduated from Delaware Valley University with a degree in Animal Science, but following graduation decided to pursue a career as an equine professional. After riding, training, and teaching for several years, Gordon went back to school and received her master’s degree in secondary science education. She later attended Rutgers University where she earned her Ph.D. in their Equine Nutrition and Exercise Physiology Program.

Gordon’s goal was to become a university professor; however, one of her own professors encouraged her to look into a nutritionist role at Purina. Hesitantly, she decided to give it a shot.

“It took one day at the research farm and I was sold, completely sold,” says Gordon.

“Just being there for one day and seeing the capability and the commitment, I knew that this is what I wanted to do. I got hired in 2005 with Purina and I said to myself I would stay for 10 years then start my own company. Well, it’s been 17 years, and I still love it.”

“We have 1,200 acres in Gray Summit, Missouri,” she adds. “On the farm, there are 80 horses that we do our nutritional research with at Purina. We have broodmares, foals, growing horses, mature horses, senior horses, you name it.”

The horses at the research farm are all owned by Purina, with the majority being Quarter Horses, accompanied by a small group of off-track Thoroughbreds.

“The reason we have mostly Quarter Horses is that we’ve been breeding there for over 50 years and we replace our own herd as they get older and we retire them,” says Gordon. “Owning all these horses gives us a very uniform group so we know their genetics, we know their breeding. It helps us with our scientific studies to have those controlled groups of horses.”

As the Senior Director of Equine Technical Innovation, Gordon oversees the equine research and Ph.D. technical teams.

“We take care of all of the new product development, getting the products to market, the research that goes into it, and everything we need to do to help support that product,” says Gordon. “We take a massive amount of pride in our research and what we do. Purina has incredible breadth and depth of research, and our incredible facilities are the heart of everything that we do.”

Within Gordon’s team of employees, the research group is led by Robert Jacobs, Ph.D., who serves as Equine Innovation Manager.

His expertise includes equine nutrition and reproductive physiology. Jacobs works full-time at the research farm overseeing other researchers as well as the team that cares for the horses. For the technical group, Karen Davidson, Ph.D, is the Director, Nutritionist of Equine Technical Solutions. She is joined by three other Ph.Ds who support the sales force, do formulation work, conduct field trials, and educate horse owners and veterinarians about Purina products, while providing sound nutritional guidance and advice.

July 2022

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COVER STORY

“We take a massive amount of pride in our research and what we do. Purina has incredible breadth and depth of research, and our incredible facilities are the heart of everything that we do.”

—MARY BETH GORDON, PH.D, Senior Director of Equine Technical Innovation

“Nutrition has always fascinated me,” says Gordon. “I remember putting the grain into the cart as a kid, feeding it to the horses, and looking at it thinking, ‘What goes into all this stuff ?’ I’ve always had a natural inclination to understand my own nutritional health – you name a way of eating and I’ve probably tried it. Nutrition intrigues me so much because while we know some things, nutritional science is actually a very young science. Depending on how you feed yourself, hydrate yourself, and exercise, and how you feed and hydrate and exercise your horse, it absolutely can make a huge difference in their life.”

In today’s market, there is an endless amount of feed and supplements to choose from. But how do you know what actually works? While a product may include ingredients beneficial for horses, the quantity and quality of those ingredients, and the lifestyle of the horse, are all factors that must be carefully considered for the product to truly make a difference. Gordon created a concept called the “Test R.I.D.E.” as a way to evaluate feed and supplements.

“R.I.D.E. stands for research, ingredients, dose and efficacy,” says Gordon. “It’s become one of our core philosophies at Purina because it’s a great way to build a supplement. It’s a great way to build a feed. It’s really our job as nutritionists to try to get the right feed for the right purpose and instruct you to feed it at the right amount.”

No day is the same at Purina’s research farm—at any given time, there are multiple research projects at various stages of testing. In 2021, two products were launched as part of Purina’s Omega Match® Line after four years of research by Gordon’s team.

“People love Omega-3 Fatty Acids—I was looking into where horses get Omega-3 Fatty Acids in nature, and a lot of people don’t realize the number one source of Omega-3s in a horse’s diet is

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from fresh pasture,” says Gordon. “When a horse is out eating grass 24/7, they’ll take in over 150 grams of Omega-3s per day.

But a lot of times, Omega supplements only have 10 grams or 20 grams in it.”

Gordon was determined to develop a product to provide horses with more Omega-3 fatty acids to rival the amount they would be getting from 24/7 turnout.

She began creating feed in her own kitchen, using ground timothy pellets and flaxseed.

“We took it to the research farm, put it in our formulation system, and built it out.

We took a group of horses in individual stalls and dry lots and fed them the Omega Match product. After, we took blood samples and measurements over a series of several weeks and looked at how the Omega-3 fatty acid values in their blood.

We compared it to horses that are out eating pasture and found that we could match them,” says Gordon.

After years of careful research, the Omega Match® Line has been perfected to provide horses with an optimal amount of Omega-3 Fatty Acids.

A project that is currently being researched at the farm is their Microbiome Project, known as MQ™ and any horse owner is able to participate in the project and contribute to the Purina database as they learn more about horses’ gut health.

(See box.)

“In and around your body, you have bacteria, especially in your gut, that breaks down your food, helping to support your immune system, and providing nutrients to your body and horse’s body. In the horse’s gut, they have billions of bacteria that are these good bugs,” says Gordon. “You can affect the microbiome by what you feed the animal or if it gets antibiotics.”

“One of the things with horses is that when they eat, it has to get through about 70-plus feet of small intestine,” she adds.

“Then you get to the cecum where the majority of all these bugs are. Is that little scoop of probiotics that you gave getting all the way down to the digestive tract where it needs to be? We’ve been doing that research now for several years. We sequence your horse’s microbiome so we know the bugs that are there, then we do all kinds of research to figure out what feed will affect the microbiome to support the horse’s health. It’s a very long process, but we hope to have our first product in market within the next few years.”

Looking ahead, Gordon and her team aim to continue to develop the most innovative and effective products for equine nutrition. She says that research is so imperative given that equine nutrition is a young science, and that the nutritional requirements for horses are not as clear cut as other species.

“I would like a way for nutrition to be simplified for horse owners,” says Gordon. “While we have to think about the horse as Mother Nature intended, we also have this modern sporthorse that we’re trying to feed like an athlete. How do I stay true to the horse’s nature, but then how do I feed them like an athlete and get the best of both worlds?”

In the feed industry, Purina’s research team truly stands out. With the latest technology, the carefully selected herd, and top scientists, they are able to provide top of the line nutrition to nourish horses with feed tailored to their genetics, age, and lifestyle.

“It’s our commitment to research every single day. It’s the people that come to that farm every day, feed those horses, foal out our mares in the middle of the night, and they all have the same passion that I do,” says Gordon. “It’s the research but it’s also the innovative mindset. We’re all horse people ourselves, it’s who we are. It’s what we do. And that’s really what sets us apart.”

WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MICROBIOME PROJECT? Purina has received over 4,000 samples and is looking for more. Sign up to receive a kit at: purinamills.com/horse-feed/campaign/ equine-microbiome-kits

Carefully measuring out the Omega Match™ Ration Balancer at feeding time

July 2022

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PHOTO GALLERY

The 125th Devon Horse Show & Country Fair Junior Weekend DEVON, PA • MAY 2022 PHOTOS:

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ADAM D. HILL

THE PLAID HORSE

July 2022

July 2022

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HORSES

Merlin & the Foal This is the first story in Margie Sloan’s “So! Who’s Your Daddy” series about some incredible stallions and their babies WORDS:

MARGIE SLOAN

PHOTOS:

SCOTT WILSON

THREE COLTS walk into a barn. The fillies perk

up. After the whinnying and a few snorts, the boss mare asks, “So! Who’s your Daddy?”

Colt one loudly boasts: “He’s a Thoroughbred worth big bucks and runs around a track!”

Colt two very loudly boasts: “Mine’s a Warmblood dressage dancer and can do the equine jitterbug and ballet!”

Colt three doesn’t see a need to boast. He simply states, “Mine is a wild man, a hero, and he’s free.”

The boss mare is intrigued. She wants to hear about all the daddies, but first she wants to hear about the wild man.

His name is Merlin. He’s a stallion of the Colorado Sand Wash Basin Herd. And he is indeed a hero, in every sense of the word. No one knows just how many he has sired. However, his role as the godfather to a forgotten foal is a compelling story of compassion and courage.

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HORSES

Last September, The Bureau of Land Management conducted a roundup of the Colorado Sand Wash Basin wild horses in their effort to thin the herd roaming on Northwest Colorado Public Lands.

The roundup was done with helicopters and wranglers stampeding the horses to holding pens.

Observers from wild horse rescue groups and nature photographers noticed a tiny foal that looked to be no more than a few days old, terrified and isolated. Her mother, a mare identified as Serendipity, (herself sired by the legendary Picasso), was last seen running to escape the low flying helicopter.

Scott Wilson, the winner of the 2022 Sony Open Competition Natural World & Wildlife Photographer of the Year, experienced a once in a life time example of the bonds of wild horses protecting their herd at all costs.

What Wilson saw and memorialized on film is the stuff of campfire stories and cowboy movies. Screenwriters likely couldn’t top the true story of a mustang stallion confronting an uncaring wrangler and protecting a defenseless newborn foal—at his own risk of certain capture.

Wilson experienced a brief moment of hope and heroism in the midst of a brutal round up. As colt three may have told the story of his father…

Even a tragedy needs a hero. Just after sunrise and up on a ridge, obscured from the helicopter’s approach, appeared a tiny newborn foal. The foal was accompanied by what observers assumed was a mare, until it became apparent the elder horse was a mustang stallion known locally as Merlin.

The newborn, as yet unnamed, had been without its mother or her milk since she was rounded up the previous day. The stallion, in a huge sacrifice, was trying to help the young foal. Instantly, we knew were witnessing an extraordinary example of compassionate wild animal behavior at its finest.

At this point, you want the foal to enter the trap without any drama or be humanely captured so it has the best chance of being reunited with its mare, or with milk, at least. But you also want the stallion to escape. Between the helicopter and an approaching cowboy, Merlin

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clearly sensed danger and bolted with the foal in tow until Merlin turned and placed himself between the foal and the cowboy.

Observers were ordered back to their cars at this point, so we have no idea what happened next or how, except that the foal eventually made it to the pen and on to a foster facility in Craig, CO. Stallion Merlin paid the price with his freedom and was held in a holding pen with 120 wild horses rounded up in just one morning. But not for long.

In an extraordinary act of defiance, the following morning, Merlin vaulted the seven-foot fence around the BLM holding pen, with no room for a run up, and galloped his way to freedom. The dramatic escape instantly elevated Merlin to Sand Wash Basin legend status. Artists have been inspired to write poetry and paint versions of the tale.

“The stallion, in a huge sacrifice, was trying to help the young foal.”

Perhaps even more magical is that Merlin was just one of four wild stallions during the ten day round up who sacrificed their right to roam in order to return a foal to its mother.

Unbelievable family values!

The foal, a beautiful black filly, was given a chance at a good life. She is growing up and thriving in Kiowa, Colorado at a horse sanctuary. Her name is Stella Luna and she is one of the lucky ones.”

The boss mare liked the story. The other two colts were dumbfounded as they had never known about wild horses.

The barn manager came in to do his chores and turned the radio on.

The horses swayed back and forth in their stalls and the barn manager sang along with Janis Joplin on the radio: “Freedom’s just another word for nothin‘ left to lose…”

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Back-to-work plan Step 1 �

Step 2 �

�

Ensure good biomechanics and balanced hoof landings.

BEFORE YOU BEGIN

●

●

Utilizing slow motion video, watch for heelfirst, balanced landings. This helps to ensure there is less strain on soft tissue.

Firm footing is better for soft tissue damage rehab. If your horse is rehabbing from laminitis, thin soles, or a weak hoof capsule, they may prefer softer footing.

NOTES

Step 3 �

Step 4 �

�

�

Work up slowly, starting with hand walking.

Incorporate tacked walking and riding as strength improves.

HAND WALKING (up to twice a day)

WALK UNDER SADDLE

●

Day 1-3 / 5-min

●

Day 28-31 / 30-min

●

Day 4-7 / 7-min

●

Day 32-36 / 35-min

●

Day 8-12 / 13-min

●

Day 37-41 / 40-min

●

Day 13-15 / 15-min

●

●

Day 16-19 / 18-min

●

Day 48-54 / 50-min

●

Day 20-23 / 21-min

●

●

Day 24-27 / 25-min

●

Assess soundness before continuing.

Do not go on to trot if unsound.

If all is going well, continue on to the next step!

NOTES

horse How is your

Adapted from a plan by Dr. Martina Neidhart t

heel-firs

flat

foot? landing bare

ADD CANTER WORK

●

Day 55-57 / 25-min walk, 3-min trot

●

Day 58-62 / 30-min walk, 7-min trot

●

Day 63-65 / 30-min walk, 10-min trot

●

Day 66-69 / 35-min walk, 12-min trot

For soft tissue rehab, at this time, try working on deeper footing or softer ground for 10 minutes at a time.

This will challenge tendons and ligaments, ideally without allowing for strain.

●

●

Once your horse has shown that they can comfortably trot at the paces above, canter can be introduced at 3 minutes, increased by 3-5 minutes every week.

●

Day 70-73 / 35-min walk, 15-min trot

Reassess if any soreness or setbacks occur.

●

Day 74-77 / 40-min walk, 17-min trot

●

Day 78-81 / 40-min walk, 20-min trot

Soft footing should be introduced in the middle of the work session– try a 15-minute walk on firm footing, 5-minute walk on soft ground, back to firm footing, etc.

●

●

ral extension and website

if they have hay test averages and

What are you feedin Forage-based carrier Supplement choice

THE HUMBLE HOOF REHAB GUIDE PAGE 43

heel-first

:

(look for � ts).

of 150mg �

zinc per day to meet frank deficienc ies.

NDF

Considerations

ESC

Horses typically meet or exceed daily iron requirements with their forage and water.

Starch

Calcium (Ca)

More may be needed, high iron areas.

especially in

t �

limiting amino acids.

sweeteners. �

Methionine, lysine, and

E HOOF REHAB

Phosporous (P)

Low DE or protein can cause topline loss or weight issues ADF should be < 40% NDF should be < 60% ESC + starch should

be < 10% Starch should be < 4% Ca:P:Mg - 2:1:1

Magnesium (Mg)

threonine are

needed to properly utilize protein in the diet. Supplements should be in grams per day, not milligrams.

Copper (Cu) Zing (Zn) Manganese (Mn)

During hoof rehab, try to stick to starch < 4% and ESC + starch < 10%. Alfalfa, wheat, soy, etc. can cause hoof sensitivity in some horses, even if they are not metaboli c.

THE HUMBLE HOOF

Considerations THE HUMBL

Iron (Fe)

Include importan

Source: Dr. Kellon’s NRC NRC Requirement for Plus, Horses

Your results

Protein

ADF

copper and 450mg

Avoid fillers and

PAGE 18

balanced

lateral

medial

Deciphering your hay test DE (calories)

THE HUMBL

:

"ferrous" in ingredien Look for a minimum

take your best guess.

g? balanced

unbalanced

some * Please note that may have a laminitic horses heel first very exaggerated accompanied landing, often movement. with stiff and sore

GUIDE E HOOF REHAB

Reading labels Avoid added iron

databases to see

Increase time on soft footing by 5 minutes every week.

NOTES

Veterinarians, farriers, bodyworkers, trainers, and others that are involved in your horse's life are invaluable during rehabilitation. Make them a part of the process!

d, g, uneven groun � Deep footin es, or “lazy” inclines, declin affect landings. movement will

Check your local agricultu

●

NOTES

NOTES

gs, � To assess landin n at film in slow motio THE HUMBLE HOOF REHAB GUIDE PAGE 42 the from ground level, front. the and side

flat

If you can’t test you r hay

� FOOTING CHALLENGE

Always include your rehab team in your decision making.

el surface, horses d walk, on a flat/lev ed. � At a forwar laterally balanc rst and medio should land heel-fi

toe-first

Step 6 �

Enjoy your horse!

Take footing into account and begin to carefully challenge soft tissue.

ADD TROT WORK

Day 42-47 / 45-min

NOTES

Landings

Step 5 �

⏭

Watch for setbacks – only move forward if soundness is improving.

Fe:Cu:Zn:Mn - 4:1:3:3 If iron or manganese is too high, consider re-sampling.

Shake any surface dirt from the hay and pull samples with clean tools. If the iron amounts are not simply dirt contamin ants, the hay may be incredibly difficult to balance for hoof rehab and it may be necessary to find another hay source.

REHAB GUIDE PAGE 10 THE HUMBLE HOOF

REHAB GUIDE PAGE 11

19 GUIDE PAGE

toe-first

Balmoral los angeles

Congratulates Only Always

Grand Hunter Champion, The Devon Horse Show 2022 PHOTO: KIND MEDIA LLC

Traci Brooks 310-600-1967

BalmoralFarm.com

Carleton Brooks 760-774 -1211

HORSES

AMERICAN BRED

Making Her Own Rules

Qatar takes the show ring by storm WORDS: TORI

S

SHEEHAN

IX-YE AR-OLD QATAR (Diktator Van De Boslandhoeve–

Chicolina Lou) is simple yet sassy. She’ll let you know when she doesn’t like something you’re doing. She’s small—the dark bay mare stands barely 16H—yet scopey. She boasts 13 to 14-foot strides that make her riders sometimes confounded at how effortlessly they’ve arrived at the end of a line.

Qatar loves carrots and her brother, a bulldog named Pickles.

Her favorite thing could be jumping, or it could also be getting her withers scratched with a pitchfork. At a young age, Qatar seems to have an awareness that she was always meant to be a show horse, and a top jumper at that.

“Qatar tells me every day how she will go,” says owner and rider Katie Morano.

“She really tells us what she likes and doesn’t like. She was always darling, but opinionated.”

Morano smiles the way a parent might grin whild discussing their child. She is not only Qatar’s owner, main rider, and trainer, but she is also her breeder.

IT STARTED WITH A LOVE STORY “I worked in Europe for a couple of years, and I rode her mother and fell in love with her mom,” Morano says. “Just a heart

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of gold, scopey and big. Not a bad bone in her body. Just an honest horse that always wanted to try and please. I became really attached to her when I was there.”

Morano brought Chici back with her to the States when she moved back.

After leasing her out a bit, Chici finally needed a little break. It wasn’t long until the wheels started turning, and people in Morano’s life suggested she bred the mare.

At first, she tried to breed Chici to Big Star, right before the stallion won individual gold with Nick Skelton at the 2016 Olympics. But she didn’t take, and it

looked like frozen options wouldn’t work for them. Instead, Morano serendipitously turned to Spy Coast and their stallion, Diktator Van De Boslandhoeve. Even then, she needed a little bit of luck.

“We tried it the first time and she didn’t take. They had a live foal guarantee, so I paid a little bit more, got a second go at it, and then I was like, ‘You know what?

Never mind, I’m just going to start riding her again, she doesn’t need a break.’ Well, she was pregnant. That was Qatar,” says Morano. “So my byproduct of just letting my mare have a break and rest and just be a horse for a while because she owed me nothing, was: now I have a foal.”

Morano has helped break and develop several young horses, but never had one all her own from the very first step. The first thing she quickly had to accept was the unknown.

The name Qatar was set for the little one before she was born, the letter Q a nod to the Belgian blood and ambiguous enough to fit a colt or filly. Morano had no idea what she had before her. She didn’t know if it was a future hunter, eq horse, or jumper. She didn’t even know whether it was a boy or girl.

“When Qatar was born, the clinic called and said, “She’s here!” I said, “She’s here? You mean my nice big stallion?”

Morano and Qatar schooling at home in Florida

Qatar’s Top Team: Morano and Ali Donahue leave the ring with Qatar at WEF this past winter. The team finished second in their first class at WEF in 2022

Morano and Qatar competing at Foxlea Farm in Venice, FL

Qatar and Chici before weaning

Qatar and Morano at home in Florida

PHOTOS: SPORTFOT (TOP RIGHT); FOREVER PHOTO CO (BOTTOM LEFT); COURTESY KATIE MORANO

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HORSES

“You put her in front of any size fence, whatever it may be, she just puts her ears back and goes for it.

She doesn’t know she can’t do something.”

—KATIE MORANO

They said, “No, we mean a little itty-bitty mare that’s early.”

THE EARLY YEARS Much of Qatar’s early life was dictated by her size and the growing pressure to nurture her promise, the extent to which was still being revealed to Morano.

“I just wanted to let her grow and develop,” Morano says. “She was turned out with some young ones that were a little older but close to her age. I wanted her to get those developmental skills. Being socialized but also the running, the playing, the stopping and turning—all of those things are very important in sport horses.”

Morano let Qatar define her early years in the field. When the mare was four, Morano began working with her, which she admits is a lot later than she’s broken other horses.

In the beginning, Morano immediately took note of Qatar’s floaty gates.

“I thought maybe she’ll be a small junior hunter, until I rode her. Let me tell you, she is not. She is a jumper,” Morano says with a laugh.

Qatar’s blood and scope stunned her owner. But the pair’s progress wasn’t always perfect. Also from the beginning, Qatar was opinionated, and Morano had to learn a distinct patience when it came to Qatar’s training and progress.

“There were days where we just didn’t do anything but walk. There were days where I’d get on her, walk to the ring, she said ‘no’, and you’d have to just say, ‘okay,’ and turn around. It took her until about six years old to allow someone to tell her how they’d like her to do it,” says Morano.

“But I was able to work with her because she was mine. I didn’t have a time frame.”

Morano only showed Qatar in five or six classes during her five-year-old year last year. That was intentional, based on what Morano felt Qatar was ready for mentally. Physically however, there were few questions about her capability despite her small stature.

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“We free jumped, she jumped as high as she could, as high as we asked her to, to the point we thought she was going to jump out of the chute. It was just so easy for her. And she loved it! But working, she was kind of like, ‘Oh this isn’t so fun.’ ” The answer was time, more patience, toying with bits, and seeing what Qatar liked best. All the while, Morano was exploring the uncharted territory of developing her own horse from the very beginning.

“The fact that I personally own her, it does make it to where no one can say, ‘Well, I know this is how you feel but you have to do it anyway.’ That is great. But I did put personal pressure on myself because she is so scopey. She has so much potential and shows so much talent for future sport that I would start to make myself concerned.

Like, ‘What if she’s not at the right place with her age bracket?’ All these what-ifs that I started putting pressure on myself.”

“That’s the one thing I’ve never wanted to lose by pushing her too hard. She has a gigantic heart,” Morano says. “You put her in front of any size fence, whatever it may be, she just puts her ears back and goes for it. She doesn’t know she can’t do something. And that’s the one thing I never wanted to teach her. I never want her to learn from me that she can’t do something.

So that’s what I based her entire training structure on.”

‘THE SPRINGIEST HORSE I’VE EVER RIDDEN’ The first class kicking off Qatar’s 6-yearold competition year was at WEF in January. The two went double clear and finished in second place. Morano feels that Qatar is maturing nicely, accepting leadership and guidance from her riders.

“She is the springiest horse I’ve ever ridden. She is deceptively large-strided, but she’s petite,” Morano says. “When you point her at a jump you feel her engage more.

Almost like a switch goes off. I find myself laughing a lot when I jump her just because

Morano and Qatar soar over an oxer at WEF this past winter. Morano was intentional about bringing Qatar along slow and steady in the 5- and 6-year-old classes

even if a mistake was made, even if there’s a rail, you can feel that she really enjoys herself. She gives a little extra effort, jumps a little higher, kicks her hind end a little more.

It makes me laugh because it feels like she really enjoys that part of her job.”

There’s an emotional expense paid for those who care for their young horse’s futures so carefully. Morano is honest that there is also a financial toll, and a question of if your investments will ever pay off. especially if you are not a large, established breeding program.

“I commend the people who have breeding programs. I have seen many horses and broken many horses,” says Morano. “I feel very, very fortunate with what I got out of the breeding because it is not a guarantee. You could put the best mare and the best stallion together and there’s no guarantee that you’re going to get a quality young horse.”

As for Qatar’s future, Morano is enjoying the ride and focusing on finesse.

“I’m not worried about her style or her scope,” she says. “Honestly, the bigger she jumps, the better her style gets. Even now over 1.25 m, she’s starting to jump a little more relaxed, which is great because she finds it easy. As she starts to move up in height as the year goes on, I think that rideability will be better and her style will continue to follow, so that’s my goal.”

All along the way, you bet Qatar’s path to success will be filled with lots of joy-filled jump-offs, pitch-fork scratches… and lots and lots of carrots.

“It’s Qatar’s world,” Morano says.

“We’re just living in it.”

PHOTO: SPORTFOT

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PHOTOS:

July 2022

KMK PHOTOS

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THE SAVE AMERICA’S

FORGOTTEN

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INITIATIVE

EQUINES ACT Thousands of Equines are Sent Abroad to Slaughter—the Senate Must Vote to Pass a Bill to Save Them WORDS:

D

MARGIE SLOAN

EATH IS INEVITABLE FOR OUR HORSES. How they die

is a decision we are often privileged to make with euthanasia, the last act of kindness.

The Save America’s Forgotten Equines Act of 2021, known as the SAFE Act, addresses those unwanted horses, mules, and burros who are sent to Canada and Mexico for slaughter for human consumption. The bill has been proposed in the past but never passed as it lacked the necessary votes in the Senate.

While the majority of Americans are opposed to horse slaughter, most are unaware that it is still legal to send American horses across the border for slaughter. We recoil at the photos of the “processing” of the horse at foreign abattoirs where pain is of no

PHOTO: JOSEPH DANIEL/UNSPLASH

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INITIATIVE

concern to the butchers. But avoiding the unpleasant topic perpetuates the problem of what to do with thousands of at-risk horses, mules, and burros, who—through no fault of their own—face a terrible end to their lives.

The equines sent to the slaughter pipeline begin their journey at the auction where they are scrutinized for purchase. They are on display several times a year all across America.

The unwanted are not just the old and non-performing equines, but the healthy, young ones who didn’t make it at the race track, show ring, or rodeo, and get left behind by owners no longer able or willing to care for them. They include foals and pregnant mares. The more they weigh, the more the kill buyers will bid for them, often outbidding the rescuers hoping to save them from the overcrowded trailer ride to the foreign death house. According to the US Department of Agriculture, 92% of the horses that are slaughtered are healthy and in good condition.

For anyone who has ever loved a horse, the thought of it on the menu is abhorrent. But not everyone loves horses.

Texas kill buyer Mike McBarron says, “It’s just a job to me. I mean, I don’t fall in love with them.”

But for those who know the thrill of communion with their mount, and those who revere and respect the magnificence of our equines, their value is immeasurable.

The final decision for our forgotten American equines to die hard or to die with dignity will be made by our elected officials in Congress. It’s unlikely that anyone who previously voted against the SAFE Act has ever witnessed a horse’s final moments during slaughter. They need to not only hear but to truly listen to the Americans who partner with horses for sport, for profit, for therapy and for companionship.

To that end, we spoke with many equestrians on the topic and share them here, in the hopes that fellow horsemen and horsewomen spread the word as well…

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MARY BABICK

President, United States Hunter Jumper Association

We are the guardians of our horses. The responsibility for horse welfare and end of life choices are topics that should concern all horse people. We owe it to our horses to make humane choices for their end of life.”

TOM O’MARA

President, United States Equestrian Federation

“United States Equestrian Federation has been following the progress of this legislation and it’s important that we address this issue as a community.

We all care deeply for horses, regardless of whether they’re wild in the west, competing internationally and representing the United States, or someone’s best friend living freely on personal property. This has always been a challenging and emotional topic, but the humane care of horses is something we can all agree is in the best interest of the horse, but also our sport, and for the industry as a whole.

PHILLIP DUTTON

Olympian, USA and Australia Eventers Riders Association of North America

“I WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT THE SAFE ACT BILL. I CAN’T EXPRESS PROPERLY HOW MUCH I VALUE HORSES CONSIDERING MY WHOLE LIFE HAS BEEN CENTERED AROUND THEM.”

MARY MITTEN

Executive Director, We Can Ride Equine Assisted Therapy

“I’m against slaughter. I see small and large miracles everyday with our donated and rescued horses and their special needs riders.”

ROXANNE TRUNNELL

Highest Ranked Para Dressage Athlete in the World Paralympian 2016 Rio de Janeiro and 2020 Tokyo

To me, my horse is my best friend, a confidant, a therapist, and my muse. Because of my illness and stroke, I am not able to walk and express myself verbally, but with the horses, they loan me the use of their legs, and allow me to be seen and express my individuality without the use of words. Horses don’t judge you. It doesn’t matter that I’m in a wheelchair or that I talk funny. They are accepting of the way I am and if I provide them with love and kindness and trust, then they will in turn give that back 100%.

This is why I am pro last act of kindness—euthanasia.

Taking a horse to the slaughterhouse is a cold-hearted act. These amazing animals are being faced to die scared and alone…where with euthanasia they can feel how loved they are before passing along. Horses are not a piece of sports equipment or a machine. They are living, breathing beings who put complete trust in their owners. We owe them the respect to show them just how much they mean to us and to have them feel completely loved right up to their last breath.” continued...

PHOTOS: SHINE BRIGHT STUDIOS (BABICK); COURTESY USEF (TRUNNELL)

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TKTKTKTKT INITIATIVE

KATIE ROSENFELS

Owner/Co-Founder, Free Ride Equestrian

I strongly support Congressional efforts to end the still legal-pipeline for horses to be transported to Canada and Mexico for slaughter for human consumption. Horse owners have the option to euthanize their horse if they can no longer care for it. But to be able to sell the horse to ultimately end up in inhumane conditions and then slaughtered is not okay.

Many of the horses subjected to this ending are the wild ones rounded up by the BLM. I own an American Mustang and I’m proud to have been able to give him a new career. He is a wonderful athlete, kind and smart. I’m currently competing with him in 1st level dressage and training for 2nd level.

The horse industry in the USA puts billions into the economy and creates millions of jobs.

From a financial perspective, it doesn’t make sense to me that horses can’t be either rehomed, given a job, or humanely euthanized.”

PAMELA FLANAGAN

DONALD V. LITTLE, JR

“I’m against slaughter and the unnecessary torture of these animals. I wish people would understand the reality of the unwanted equine debacle. I’ve rescued and found homes for many slaughterbound horses. My rescued mare Stella, who was just a number in a lot a few years ago, is now a star polo pony. All my horses are microchipped and branded. They will never go to slaughter.”

“We make sure all our horses never get the option of slaughter. We register them with the Jockey Club both on paper and digitally with specific language, ‘This horse was not bred for slaughter. For more information, please call 1-800-606-7273.’

Every horse we purchase has a $1,000 rescue fund for aftercare that we create so that if a precarious situation occurs, we rescue it and bring it to a loving home. We just rescued one of ours that was sent to race in Puerto Rico and wasn’t doing well. He is now home in Connecticut.”

Governor at Large, United States Polo Association

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President Co-Owner, Centennial Farms Racing

PHOTO: JASMIN SICHERT PHOTOGRAPHY

JOE FARGIS

ANTHONY COPPOLA

“Of course I’m against slaughter. I’m a guy who loves animals. No animal should suffer. Once you give a horse away or sell it at auction, you’ve lost control of its destiny. I’d rather euthanize my horse than to give it away or sell it and not know what happened to it. The journey itself to slaughter is horrific.”

“I’M AGAINST HORSE SLAUGHTER. I’M FOR THE LAST ACT OF KINDNESS—EUTHANASIA. WHEN MY HORSES RETIRE, I FIND THEM LOVING HOMES OR THEY COME HOME WITH ME TO MY FARM IN SOUTH CAROLINA.”

Olympian, Gold Medalist Show Jumping 1988 Seoul

President, United States Polo Association

SABINE SCHUT-KERY

Olympian, Silver Team Medal Dressage, Tokyo 2020

Slaughter is horrible! I don’t understand how we can let our horses get to the slaughter house. The torture is awful. The horses can’t speak for themselves.

We have a responsibility as horsemen and horsewomen to do something about this.

The power is within each of us. We can and we must make a difference and stop this needless cruelty.”

WE’RE GLOBAL LEADERS IN EQUINE CARE FOR A REASON

continued...

www.carrdaymartin.com PHOTO: COURTESY USEF

TKTKTKTKT INITIATIVE

GEORGINA BLOOMBERG

International Show Jumper • Animal Activist

Horses have been a huge part of my life since I was four years old. Their role in my life has evolved over the years but their importance has only become greater. I loved them when I was a child but didn’t fully appreciate what they gave me or how much the riding world would become my family and home. The animals are the roots of why we do this, but to me, the entire package from the horses to the people to the shows and the community have kept me in this place and

PETRINE DAY MITCHUM

made me want to make this my work and my life. Horses have given me love and sometimes the ability to escape from the world. Horses have also given me purpose, have made me proud of myself and what I can accomplish. Horses have given me the confidence and tools I need to live a life with purpose.

I would explain to US Congressional Representatives and US Senators how horses are transported to slaughter houses, how they are killed once they arrive, and also make sure they understand that every

Author (with Audrey Pavia) of Hollywood Hoofbeats, The Fascinating Story of Horses in Movies and Television

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horse is one bad sale away from the slaughter house. So many people think the horses that we ride could never end up there, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. We see horses from all over the equine world end up in the wrong hands and on a truck headed to slaughter.

Just the transport alone is cruel and inhumane, and I believe if our Representatives and Senators saw just one video of the transport, let alone the slaughter house…no questions asked…vote to save our horses, mules and burros.”

I’m anti-slaughter of equines for any reason. Horses have contributed so much to civilization: from our personal mobility, food cultivation and transportation of goods, to sport, amusement, and art. They are priceless partners in the story of human life.

Horses in America today are not raised for meat. Those unfortunate ones that go to slaughter to face inhumane ends are the by-products of the mismanagement of our wild herds and the racing and sport horse industries that have no regulated retirement plans for equines.

These systematic problems require legislative solutions, providing better management of lands federally designated for wild equines but often over grazed by domestic cattle. Wild horse populations can be controlled by humane birth control darting and in some cases, the reintroduction of natural predators such as wolves.

The racing industry is in need or a major overhaul. Regulation such as raising the minimum racing age from two to three would go a long way toward reducing the amount of “waste” horses. Horse owners should have a humane retirement plan in place before taking on the responsibility of a single equine.”

PHOTO: COURTESY COMPANIONHOUSE BOOKS

WE’RE GLOBAL LEADERS IN EQUINE CARE FOR A REASON

WILLY ARTS

KWPN-NA Platinum Breeder

“We must think for our horses. We must make the right decisions for them in life and in death.

If you love your horse, then your horse always has a good life. If circumstances prevent a good life, because of injury, illness or financial strain,then you humanely euthanize your horse.”

ERIN PRUTOW

California Estate Planning Attorney and Equestrian

“I recommend to my clients, many who are horse and pet owners, that they create a trust for their large and small animals to ensure their continued care if they precede the animals in death or become unable to care for them. Sale to kill buyers will never happen.”

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PHOTO: GEOFFREY TISCHMAN

TKTKTKTKT INITIATIVE

ELLIE PHIPPS PRICE

President, American Wild Horse Campaign

There is no humanity in horse slaughter. There is no fiscal responsibility in the destruction of our wild herds. And there is no science behind the BLM’s failed wild horse and burro program. Horse slaughter is a horrific end for any horse, wild or domestic.”

The Bureau of Land Management has a plan. And, they are not even hiding it…slaughter America’s wild horses. Our wild ones are being betrayed by the US Government agency that is supposed to be protecting them. As the BLM rounds up and removes thousands more wild horses, mules and burros from our public lands, they incentivize slaughter with a broken adoption and payout program.”

HOW HORSE-LOVING CHILDREN CAN HELP HOW DO WE tell our children what happens to unwanted horses? The grim reality of slaughter is upsetting and sure to bring nightmares to sensitive children with plastic horses and ponies in their toy boxes. But Elizabeth Letts, author of The Eighty-Dollar Champion, says that children are the hope for America’s at-risk horses.

“Children are the best ambassadors for the horses,” she says. “They aren’t wallowing in the weeds of the arguments over the equine dilemma.

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Children just love horses, pure and simple. Snowman was real and he was just in need of love and a second chance.

Kids get it.”

In her book, Letts tells the true story of Snowman, the champion show jumper, to young readers. Purchased off a slaughter truck for $80, the skinny white plow horse and trainer Harry de Leyer shared a bond born out of mutual need. de Leyer needed a reliable lesson horse for children and Snowman needed rescuing.

Snowman had kind eyes and the horseman took a chance.

In the time that Letts spent with de Leyer, who has since passed away, she learned about the heights that Snowman would go to please his rider. He jumped higher and higher, winning the US Open Jumper Championships in 1958 and 1959. It was Snowman’s way of thanking de Leyer for giving him a good life. Snowman passed on at 26

with the last act of kindness.

As de Leyer mourned Snowman, he said, “He was not just a horse to me. He was my best friend.”

Letts remembers that long after Snowman passed,

PHOTOS: KIMERLEE CURYL PHOTOGRAPHY (PRICE); COURTESY ELIZABETH LETTS

CHRISTINE TRAURIG

Olympian, 2000 Sydney, Bronze Team Medal Dressage USEF/USDF Young Horse Coach “Looking at our history in the lives of humans, horses have always given loyal service in agriculture, in war, in transportation, and as a partner in sport. The thought alone that they can be slaughtered and that it is still legal in America to send

them across our borders for slaughter is unimaginable. We have a partnership with the horse, a compassionate bonding, and a true friendship. To think that we could slaughter them is wrong and it says something about our culture.”

ROB WALTON

US Polo Hall of Fame, Polo Coach

“I’m not for slaughter. You do the right thing. If your horse is sick or injured and has no chance at a good life, you euthanize it. If your horse is retired, pasture it with buddies. Don’t discard it or neglect it. Horse ownership isn’t for everyone. Taking responsibility for a horse takes a commitment that not everyone realizes.”

WE’RE GLOBAL LEADERS IN EQUINE CARE FOR A REASON

ELIZABETH LETTS de Leyer still cried when talking about him. Her hope is that the story will continue to inspire future horse owners.

“The story remains the same, just told so the young child can appreciate what happens when a horse is shown care, comfort and valued for his spirit.

Perhaps our best hope for ending the cruelty that we have foisted upon our horses, is the coming together of kids who won’t take no for an answer,” says Letts. “They will pester their parents and maybe then their parents will pester the politicians who will vote on the SAFE ACT.”

New York Times best-selling author of The Eighty-Dollar Champion

I’m 100% percent against slaughter.

There is no gray area. The entire horse community has to look into this issue.

We have a responsibility to horses as a species that we have domesticated and used for two millennium.

Today’s horses are the reflection of our highest aspirations for them.

Inhumane slaughter is not an option for them when their numbers are too many. This is a solvable problem and we must put our will to it.”

TRY IT, REVIEW IT, WIN IT! JOIN OUR CARE CLUB TODAY

VISIT

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RIDERS

We all make mistakes.

But horse people, as a group, aren’t always the best at handling them. So TPH reached out to some top riders to share their own show ring bloopers to prove, once and for all, that mistakes really do happen to the best of us!

Hear more It Happens moments on the #Plaidcast at theplaidhorse.com/listen

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MINDY CORETZ A couple years ago, I was riding a horse named Rise Above in a national derby at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center.

We won the first round of the class by a fairly significant margin, so I really didn’t feel like I was in a position where I had to do anything crazy in the handy to maintain my lead. Tidy and efficient without any going above and beyond to take any major risks was my plan.

I have a tendency not to learn or even glance at the handy until I finish the first round, so when I took a look at it, I was excited to see that it suited my horse. Rise Above, otherwise known as Santa, is one of the laziest horses I have ever ridden. The course started with a couple roll backs, then a nice gallop to an oxer, followed by a walk-through. I knew I could really show my lazy horse off by getting a big gallop to the oxer and efficiently coming back to the walk—Santa’s favorite gait—for the walk-through.

Everything was going to plan until it was time to walk, and I couldn’t slow down. I was absolutely shocked—this was not a problem I had foreseen in the slightest. I tried every tool in my tool box, but the harder I tried to slow down, the lower Santa’s head went, and the more he resisted. I think at one point I was on his ears with my right hand over my head trying to pulley rein. It was not a good look, and I felt like an out of control pony kid at her first horse show.

I could hear all of my barn group in the stands laughing hysterically as I struggled and ultimately scored a 50. Not being able to walk was a humbling and hilarious way to lose the class in general, made so much funnier by the fact that I was on that particular horse!

PHOTOS: JERRY MOHME PHOTOGRAPHY (CORETZ); ESI

MARIA COSTA I was all geared up to show at The Hampton Classic on Presence. The horse is really a superstar, but he needs to be controlled in the turns because sometimes he’ll fade out a little bit or something like that.

He was jumping great, and I let him fade out in the turn a bit before the combination, and I didn’t get the shot I wanted coming into the combination and unfortunately, he ended up stopping at ‘B.’ He went so high at ‘A,’ he wasn’t able to get out of ‘B.’ It was 100 percent my fault. I was really disappointed because it was a huge goal of mine and I felt badly that I did that to my horse because he’s such a tryer and so incredible and he was jumping amazing.

I came out of the ring and I was on the phone with my trainer Laura Kraut—she wasn’t able to be there and she had been watching. We were talking about the round and then I asked her, ‘Now what?’ I was supposed to jump him next week in my first 5* Grand Prix ever. Her response to me was amazing. She simply said ‘You go, and you win it.’

So I pushed forward, and I went to HITS the next week, and I ended up jumping a clear round in the 5* Grand Prix and I finished second. You just have to learn from those mistakes and keep going, no matter what.

And dreams come true.

INITIATIVE

THE EQUESTRIANS OF COLOR PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT

MARIAH EISENBRAUN

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The Plaid Horse is proud to introduce some of the photo project’s featured equestrians to our readers in each issue

I

IN 2020, a group of photographers

came together to create the Equestrians of Color Photography Project, a weekly blog that promotes inclusion and amplifies the voices of equestrians of color ready to openly share their story with the community.

Learn more at equestriansofcolor.com.

ERICA SWANK

July 2022

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INITIATIVE

THE EQUESTRIAN

MARIAH EISENBRAUN What challenges have you faced as an equestrian of color?

I have been truly lucky to not experience any major problems with being an equestrian of color. Will it eventually happen?

I am almost sure of it. I live in Ohio, so the state isn’t as racially divided as other states may be.

Sure, I can sense when someone may not be very fond of me being in the barrel industry. For example, when I give a smile and a nod, and I get nothing from them but a stare.

I am truly a happy person and you can always catch me smiling and laughing. I was also raised right by both of my parents to treat everyone with respect until they break that respect. I wish everyone was like that. Which brings me into the rodeo atmosphere.

The rodeo world specifically pounds that into people’s heads, but only a select few decide to honor that when they’re actually exposed to people of color.

A major factor of being an equestrian is the “you’re not black, you ride horses,” or, “you obviously are white on the inside because you ride horses,” or, “real black people don’t ride horses.” I wish I could count how many times I have heard this come out of people’s mouths. And honestly, it is one of the most offensive comments that I get.

My mother is African American and my father is Caucasian. So, I have always been faced with having to “pick sides” when it comes to different aspects. I guess the horse world

is a “white” sport. When was that ever designated? Who knows. But, that isn’t the case.

I take big pride in being half Black, and I wouldn’t change it if I had the chance to. I’ve taken many classes in college to learn about my ancestors, and how African Americans are treated in today’s society, and in my opinion, there is no right or wrong way to “act Black.” I am who I am, so the question should never arise in a conversation, period.

What words of encouragement would you have for

THE PHOTOGRAPHER

ROAM PHOTOS

other equestrians of color?

What I have to tell other people of color is that your dreams matter too. Always have a healthy group of people that support you through everything and bring you back up whenever you are down.

I never would have imagined that I would get to travel every weekend with my horses, compete in big competitions, win some barrel races, have sponsors, get to travel with a beautiful new truck and trailer, and the list could go on and on. I started with nothing, just a little girl who knew that she

LEARN MORE equestriansofcolor.com/ mariah-eisenbraun

had her heart set on horses. I just gradually built my way up.

I don’t plan to stop until I get to do this as a living one day.

So, who knows, maybe I’ll see you at the NFR, and maybe you will see me there as well one day as the first African American pro barrel racer to make it there.

Honestly, only time will tell, and life is so good. So, make the very best of it and never stop believing in yourself. Yes, there will be times when it seems like everything is against you. But just know, it will only get better, and if you were truly destined to do something, it will happen.

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INITIATIVE

THE EQUESTRIAN

ERICA SWANK THE PHOTOGRAPHER

KIRSTIE MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY LEARN MORE equestriansofcolor.com/ erica-swank

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How do you describe yourself as an equestrian?

Well, first and foremost (and like all equestrians), I am an avid horse lover. I still remember the first time I laid eyes on a horse at 2 years old, and the magic I felt when I touched their velvet nose. I truly enjoy the bond between horse and human. It’s a beautiful thing.

When it comes to discipline/ style of equestrian, I’ve spent most of my career riding and showing all-around in the Pinto and Paint associations. Being a three-sport athlete growing up, I’ve always been full of energy and competitiveness. Learning to ride and show so many different classes from western pleasure, to trail, to hunt seat equitation was exciting and made me a

July 2022

well-rounded equestrian. It made me work hard to create and maintain a genuine connection with my horse and become the best team possible.

I have recently switched to the Reined Cowhorse. Having three events, the Cowhorse enticed me to switch and has also matched my need for speed.”

What challenges have you faced as an equestrian of color?

I am an extremely passing Latina. My challenges and experiences do not compare to those who cannot hide behind white skin and light features.

However, even as a passing Latina, I have experienced slights and felt the need for representation. I often catch myself getting overwhelmingly excited

when I see another Latinx or someone ethnically ambiguous at horse shows or events.

Because, come on, most horse events (especially the top of each discipline) are so white.

Seeing the representation of Latinx gives me this visceral feeling that I’m not alone.

I think part of that is I know how some of the horse world feels about Latinxs. Before Trump’s wall and Latinx child prisons, there was already hostility toward the Latinx community. I feel it, I hear it, and I see it. When I start interacting with a new group in the horse world, I let them know early on that I am Mexican. Because I’m passing, I know some might feel comfortable to say things they wouldn’t with a Latinx present. I say it to protect my feelings and to allow them to make me feel welcome in this very white space.

Even though I do this, it hasn’t always protected me.

I’ve had to create thick skin, pretend I haven’t heard a racist comment or conversation, unfollow certain horse people on social media, and find ways to soothe my aches.

I don’t think I’m going to change every racist’s mind, but I do think it’s worth trying, especially if they are people I otherwise love. Lately, I’ve been trying to educate by sharing articles, stories, and history of people of color and their experience in the horse world. I’ve been challenging those that I love who post things that are hurtful by having tough conversations when something racist has been said.

Standing up and speaking out helps me feel like I’m doing something productive and I hope creates space in other’s mind for change.

SHARE YOUR STORY If you are an equestrian of color (16 years or older) interested in sharing your story through The Equestrians of Color Photography Project, you can connect with a local photographer ally via the project website: equestriansofcolor.com

July 2022

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College Preparatory Invitational

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Saratoga Horse Shows WHITE HOLLOW FARM STILLWATER, NY • JUNE 15-19, 2022 PHOTOS:

ADAM D. HILL

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CHANCE STE HERMELLE

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PHOTOS: JUMP MEDIA

The 14-year-old Belgian Sport Horse mare helped the United States finish second in the $150,000 FEI Nations Cup in Wellington, FL, in March, and she was also second in the $150,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup Grand Prix at the Las Vegas National Horse Show in November.

1

If you could eat any human food, what would it be and why?

Natalie isn’t trying to slow me down.

I love sugar cubes! I am a little funny when people try to get on me, so my groom, Miguel, pops one in my mouth every time someone gets on. I also tried a peach popsicle recently and really liked it.

4

2

What was it like to show at the Las Vegas National?

Las Vegas was a really good show for me. I have a lot of blood, so the small indoor ring really helped keep me calm. I didn’t even have to get lunged there, which is unusual.

3

What’s the best part about a jump off?

I like the longer gallops because I have a big stride, and it’s one of the only times that

Do you prefer day classes or night classes?

I prefer night classes because I enjoy competing under the lights in front of a big crowd. I also like that it’s not as hot at night because I tend to sweat a lot.

5

Tell us about your life at home when you’re not competing.

I love being groomed and getting lots of attention. I know just the right face to make to get a cookie from Miguel or Natalie. I don’t get to jump very much, but I always get ridden so I can stretch my legs out.

Natalie never rides me for too long, even though I could go for hours. She tells me I get too fit, but I like to work.

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High Timber Classics I & II MEADOW VIEW FARM SPOKANE, WA • MAY 20-21, 2022 PHOTOS:

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As a horsewoman, I am most proud of the mare we bred. I recently won a Grand Prix on her. • As a horsewoman, I would most like to improve on my veterinary knowledge and skills like looking at X-rays. • I’d be lost without horse cookies in my tack trunk and spurs in my ring bag. • The greatest lesson from my pony-riding days was that you are going to fall off (a lot).

The best part about being a catch-rider is getting to learn from so many different trainers and horses. • My best piece of advice for young riders is to work hard and never stop dreaming. • My favorite horse book is The Eighty-Dollar Champion. The part of riding I’m best at is giving horses a soft and light ride.

I’m a sucker for chestnuts with a lot of light chrome. • On Mondays, you’ll find me at the barn cleaning stalls. • If I had to pick a favorite ring it would be the jumper ring, because I like to go fast. • The horse person I most admire is Peter Wylde because he is incredible to watch and is a very nice person. • One of my greatest show ring victories was winning the 2020 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals on Hot Pants. • One of the best horse names I’ve ever heard is Catch Me. • My absolute favorite show is WEC Ohio because it’s all connected, there’s great footing, and the barns are really nice.

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For more information, call:

(845) 564-6658 GARDNERTOWN FARM EST. 1979

822 Gardnertown Farm Rd. Newburgh, NY 12550 Two indoor arenas, lessons, and indoor arena polo VISIT US AT:

July 8 – “C” July 10 – “N” July 24 – “C” Aug. 11 – “N” Aug. 26 – “C” Aug. 27 – “C” Sept. 25 – “N” Oct. 1 – “N” Oct. 22 – “C” Nov. 5 – “C” Nov. 19 – “C”

Schooling July 27

www.gardnertownfarm.com

EDUCATION

WHY YOU SHOULD TAKE

Equestrian Studies College Courses Online This Summer

A Q&A with Plaid Horse publisher Piper Klemm HE PLAID HORSE publisher Professor Piper Klemm, Ph.D., is

offering her equestrian studies online courses for college credit again this summer. The courses run in June and July, and are being offered through Clarkson University: • Business and Bias in the Equestrian Industry • Grit, Toughness, and Contemporary Equestrian Coaching • English Riding: History, Culture, and Industry Evolution

Prof. Klemm earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley in 2012 and became publisher of The Plaid Horse in 2014.

She has run her own pony-leasing business since 2011. In addition to teaching in grad school, she has been teaching university-level courses since 2018. Klemm is also the co-author of Show Strides, an equestrian middle grade novel series.

Tianna Vestri, one of Klemm’s students last summer, said, “I am loving every book, article, lecture, podcast and more that we’re engaging with, and it’s really providing depth to my equestrian experiences and helping me make some great connections. I’m so glad I decided to take these three courses.”

Want more info on the classes? Read on for more in our Q+A with the professor herself and visit www.theplaidhorse.com/college.

What made you decide to teach equestrian courses in the first place?

I think our industry lacks a lot of structure on how to learn within it. Like most people in the horse business, I have learned much the hard way.

Through these courses, we use traditional academic framework to approach the equestrian business and our own knowledge systemically, and using a building block approach.

Who would benefit from taking these courses?

The great thing about these courses is that everyone can take responsibility for their own learning and equestrian experience, and take away valuable knowledge and data. Riders as young as middle school to parents of riders and excited amateurs all benefit from the courses while adding a great mosaic of experiences to class discussion. The class size is small enough that we can focus on specific situations and tailor the material to be of the most interest to each individual class.

My child is horse-obsessed but college isn’t on our radar yet. Can I still enroll them? Can I enroll myself?

Absolutely! Young riders can earn college credit to transfer to the eventual college of their choice while learning about their sport, strengthening their connections, and enhancing their resume.

We welcome parents as well!

I’m not majoring in anything equestrian-related.

Is this course still for me?

Want more info? Visit theplaidhorse.com/college

114

THE PLAID HORSE

Yes! These courses are to expand your knowledge

July 2022

“The book impressed me so much that The Plaid Horse wanted to be a part of its new life with a new printing in order to get it into as many equestrians’ hands as possible. Geoff ’s work remains as strong and relevant as ever. As much as things have changed in our sport, so much about riding hunters, jumpers, and equitation has not.

‘Classic’ still wins in the show ring.”

NOTE TO THE READER BY PIPER KLEMM, PHD

of the sport, yourself, and how to best manage hobbies, business and your approach to our sport.

They are a great tool for all majors. They can be transferred per your college’s policies to use credit toward graduation or specific distribution requirement.

I’ve already graduated from college! How would I benefit from these courses?

This sport is unique because it is a lifelong sport.

Handling decision making, finances, emotions, and understanding the market forces can always be improved upon. This investment will benefit you for decades to come!

What sort of feedback did you get from students last summer on how they were able to implement what they learned into their lives with horses?

Students were able to use decision-making processes to further their careers—including evaluating facility purchases, horse purchases, and investing further into our industry and using techniques learned in class.

Klemm also co-hosts the #Plaidcast and runs various entrepreneurial projects. Her mission is to educate young equestrians in every facet of our industry, and to empower young women in particular to find their voice and story and share them. She shows in the amateur hunter divisions with her horse of a lifetime, MTM Sandwich.

Get your copy at theplaidhorse.com/teall

CONGRATULATIONS

Avery Glynn & Gerardus OWNED BY GEORGY MASKREY-SEGESMAN

2022 Co-Winner Ronnie Mutch High Score Equitation Rider 1st - ASPCA Maclay Medal 1st - USET Medal 3rd - USEF Medal 4th - WIHS Medal

Thank you to the entire team that made Devon such a memorable week for us!

Much love and gratitude.

Avery and Hope