YourDressage
December 2017
A United States Dressage Federation Publication Natalia and Katriana go to Germany to Find Their First Love
Welcome to Your Wonderful World of Dressage YourDressage is compiled by the United States Dressage Federation, written by participants from throughout the dressage community. The articles in this publication are submitted by people like you to share and be shared by all. Experience their stories as they navigate through the wonderful world of dressage and become friends with your dressage community. It’s YourDressage, be part of it! If you would like to submit your story see the last page of this publication.
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Don't Miss Out! Advertise Your Stallion in the 2018 Online Stallion Guide
This annual online stallion guide is released by the United States Dressage Federation for the dressage community. The guide is available both through the USDF website and the USDF app. We continue our look at breeding statistics from USDF’s major championships, adding Great American/USDF Regional Championshps. Once again we will have the “Index of Progeny for Advertised Stallions,” which includes progeny that have ranked 1-100 in Adequan®/USDF Year-End Awards. It also includes horses that have placed in US Dressage Finals, Great American/USDF Regional Championships, and USDF Breeders Championships from 2009-2017. This guide contains interactive links to give you all the information you need to make a favorable breeding decision. Whether interested in breeding, or looking for a breeder with offspring already on the ground, this is a great way to learn more about dressage breeders throughout North America.
Contact Danielle Titland 720-300-2266 dtitland@usdf.org
2017 USDF Online Stallion Guide
The Hottest Bloodlines in Rio
Trending Stallions in the Sport Horse Arena: USDFBC Statistics
Pursit of Excellence: Regional Championship Statistics
Finals by the Numbers: US Dressage Finals Statistics
Check out last year's guide
December 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE
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What to See Inside Departments COVERING GROUND: Working Equitation Elizabeth Hussey recounts her experience watching a Working Equitation competition. Horse Tales: The Switch from Saddleseat to Dressage Simat Whipp tells us how she switched her Saddlebreds from saddleseat to dressage. saddle sores: Back Pain? Poor Attitude? Or Something Else? Katherine Simand couldn't understand why her mare Millie was not the carefree horse she once was. Heard ARound the Arena: 2017 AdequanÂŽ/USDF Annual Convention Convention attendees posted their experiences on social media. USDF flashback: Kyra Downton An early pioneer of the sport of dressage, Downton's story of how she eventually came to America and became involved with the California Dressage Society is an amazing one. GMO SPOTLIGHT: Indiana Dressage Society (IDS) Take a look at this group member organization.
Cover story Second Thoughts on First Love
Monika von Windheim went to Germany with her family to look for a new horse for her daughters Natalia and Katriana. They found their First Love. Pictured on the front cover is First Love with Natalia and Katriana. December 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE
Covering Ground
Working Equitation By Elizabeth S. Hussey DVM
Some WE competitions offer a fourth phase, working cattle, but Editor's Note: This article won first that wasn’t offered at AWC, so I place for a GMO Newsletter Award am unfamiliar with how those for first-person experience for GMOs are typically run. Dressage is with fewer than 75 members catpretty self-explanatory – there is egory. It appeared in the November a dressage court and each com2016 issue of the Columbia Dressage bination rides a test for their and Combined Training Association particular level. Each movement newsletter, Direct Rein. is graded, and they are given an overall score at the end of their n September, I had the optest. At AWC, there were three portunity to fly out to Las levels: novice, intermediate, and Vegas to volunteer at the 3rd advanced. There are additional Annual Andalusian World Cup levels, depending on which or(AWC). While it is primarily a ganization’s rules you compete breed show, they also offer an under. AWC was run under the open dressage show and Working rules from the Working EquitaEquitation (WE) competition. tion International Association of You can probably guess that I the USA (WEIUSA). Watching enjoyed the dressage portion, but each test, I could see elements I to my surprise, WE also captured was familiar with from USDF/ my attention! For those who are USEF dressage tests. unfamiliar with WE, it is an event The second phase, ease of with three phases. The first phase handling, was intriguing. If is dressage, the second is ease of you’re familiar with trail classes/ handling, and the third is speed. obstacles, a WE ease of handling course might look a little familiar. Several obstacles were familiar: The dressage phase (photo courtesy of Victoria Morris) a bridge, a gate, a pole to side-
I
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Covering Ground
pass over, etc. There were also a few that seemed out of place for the average trail pattern: a jump, a bell to ring, a water pitcher to pick up, etc. And probably the most foreign, yet interesting, obstacle -- the garrocha and bull. One of the most interesting aspects of WE (to me anyway) is picking up the garrocha (essentially a long pole) from a barrel as you ride by, and using it to spear a ring off a “bull” (typically a plywood silhouette), before setting the pole and ring back into another barrel. In the ease of handling phase, each pair rides a pre-determined course, typically cantering between the obstacles. As the name suggests, the round is judged on the ease of which the horse and rider complete all of the obstacles, and given a numerical score. The last phase, the speed phase, is where I really became hooked on WE. The speed phase Ringing the bell (photo courtesy of Frances Hughes)
uses the same obstacles as the ease of handling phase (potentially set in a different order), only the goal is to complete course as quickly as possible. If you complete certain obstacles correctly (successfully spearing the ring with the garrocha pole, for example), you can reduce your time – incentive to ride both quickly and skillfully! While the atmosphere in the arena was somewhat reserved during the dressage rides, and slightly livelier during the ease of handling rides, during the speed phase, the crowd became electric! I, along with the crowd, participated in spontaneous cheering, sighs of disappointment at mistakes, and lots of vocal appreciation for feats of coordination and successful completion of obstacles! Because this was an open competition, horses of all breeds were entered, including a rather adorable mule! While there were some fairly impressive stock horse types, by far and away the best were the Lusitanos – ridden
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Covering Ground
in traditional Portuguese attire, these horses showed off moves that make them skilled at everything from being agile bull fighters to elegant dressage horses. Another thing that fascinated me about WE was the wide variety in tack and attire – there were people riding in dressage tack and attire, western rigs, native Portuguese and Spanish costumes, and more. Like most equestrian sports, the horses that excelled the most at WE were both athletic and trainable. I think horses that were bred to work cattle are the best choice for WE mounts (which makes sense, considering some WE competitions also offer a cattle working phase) – so Iberian horses (the original cattle horses!) and stock horses definitely have an edge. However, the mule at AWC was the reserve champion of the novice open division, and the same rider also showed a The bull with the ring for the garrocha (photo courtesy of Kris Garrett)
Dutch Warmblood stallion in the advanced open division and came in third. In that way, WE really reminds me of dressage – any horse and rider can be competitive as long as they have a solid foundation with the basics! At any rate, the competition was extremely interesting to watch, and I am contemplating building a few of the obstacles at my own house to practice with. There are thriving WE communities in several states, including Illinois, so maybe someday I’ll be able to attend an introductory WE clinic! I’m a big fan of crosstraining my dressage horses, so working some of these obstacles (particularly the garrocha!) will help break up some of the winter indoor arena blues once the cold weather sets in. Due to my being a volunteer at AWC, I wasn’t able to photograph the actual competition, but some friends who participate in WE were kind enough to share photos from past competitions, clinics, or practice sessions.
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Horse tales
The Switch from Saddleseat to Dressage By Simat Whipp
T
he American Saddlebred is a very special horse. They’re proud, regal, and elegant, yet sweet and full of personality. I’ve ridden all types of horses since I was a girl, but once I met the Saddlebred, I’ve never been able to look at anything else in quite the same way. I was first introduced to the breed while working under some very well-respected trainers in college, which led me to purchase my first Saddlebred in 1994. He was seven at the time (and he just celebrated his 31st birthday this past May), and had no training. It was then that my adventure really began. My first Saddlebred has been retired for a number of years, but my infatuation with the breed didn’t stop there. I currently have two in training: Right On FortyThird Street (Sable) and A Touch of Design (Sophie). I purchased Sable as a yearling, and have done all
Simat with Sable and Sophie
of his training over the past eight years. I started him in Show Pleasure, before moving him to Country Pleasure. Eventually, we found a home in Hunter and Western Pleasure. He was most comfortable in a relaxed frame. Sophie was three, and had some training, when she moved to Whipp Stables. In fact, her previous owner had hoped to gait her, but she was unable to maintain the slow gait and rack, so I snatched her up as an English Pleasure horse. She’s a spicy girl with tons of endurance, and the division suited her well. Over the last 20 years, I’ve shown in Park Pleasure, English Show Pleasure, English Country Pleasure, Hunter Pleasure, and Western Pleasure. But, in the fall of 2016, I decided to take a course in equine massage. That course broadened my knowledge of equine anatomy, and the form and function of the horse’s neurological, skeletal, and muscular systems. I learned a great deal about the stress placed on the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar vertebrae, when a
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Horse tales
horse is asked to elevate incorrectly. The entire topline can be adversely affected, causing permanent damage. It was during this time that I made the decision to move my Saddlebreds away from saddleseat and into the world of dressage. Despite some prior successes with both horses, we decided to make the transition into dressage. After just months, the change I’ve noticed has been amazing. Both horses are learning and relaxing more every day. Currently, we’re navigating the dressage world without professional help (if there’s a downside to rural Iowa, this might be it). In the future, I fully expect to enlist professional help, but so far my goals include working in a relaxed frame, improving rhythm, and strengthening the topline. Sable, Sophie and I have competed in a few schooling shows. We’ve had a few challenges along the way, of course. Switching from a full bridle to a dressage legal snaffle, strengthening the topline, Simat and Sable
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Horse tales
contact, bending, lateral work, and relaxation top the list. When I showed saddleseat, I depended on leverage to create flexion. That leverage resulted in flexion between the poll and C1 vertebrae, which can restrict breathing and stress the entire spine. Both horses are now working in a baucher bit, with a focus on strengthening the topline and bringing the back up. We’re also working on developing a good bend, which has proven especially challenging during the canter transition. Previously, I would occasionally bend them the wrong direction to ensure they picked up the correct lead. The easy way isn’t always the best way... Lateral work is important for every discipline, but including it in every ride hasn’t been easy, especially with Sophie. At first, she would get really worked up every time I applied leg pressure, and asking her to yield laterally made her a little nervous. By reintroducSimat and Sophie
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Horse tales ANTIPROTOZOAL PELLETS
ing pressure from the ground, she has learned to quietly accept leg and seat aids. The biggest challenge is mental. Although we no longer crack whips and use other tools to “create” energy, the memory still affects Sophie. It’s going to take time for her to believe that nothing is going to come after her. And Sable still reverts to his previous body frame from time to time, especially in a show setting. Due to some of these challenges, our scores have some room to improve. Sable consistently scores between 58-64, while Sophie stays in the mid-to-high 50s. With time, patience, and consistency, I think we can improve our scores and prepare for a “real” show. I even entered both horses in a training level freestyle test at a schooling show. That’s right- I am brand new to dressage and thought riding to music sounded exciting! It may have been a bold move, and my scores were nothing to brag about, but I would not be afraid to attempt it again. Sable and Sophie are currently
wearing their dressage legal bridles with comfort, beginning to round nicely through the topline and moving in a more relaxed, natural frame. Above all, they love their new work. My two partners spend several hours each day outdoors, exploring their large paddocks, munching hay, and just being horses. They even seem to compete to be ridden (pick me coach!). I love the change in them and look forward to our rides every day. I’m loving dressage!
eTRAK Extra
Read about Saddlebreds in the 2017 May issue of USDF Connection.
(1.56% diclazuril)
FOR ORAL USE IN HORSES ONLY For the treatment of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) caused by Sarcocystis neurona in horses. CAUTION Federal (U.S.A.) law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian. NADA #141-268 Approved by FDA DESCRIPTION Diclazuril, (±)-2,6-dichloro-α-(4-chlorophenyl)-4-(4,5 dihydro-3,5-dioxo-1,2,4-triazin-2(3H)-yl)benzeneacetonitrile, has a molecular formula of C17 H 9 CI 3 N4O2, a molecular weight of 407.64, and a molecular structure as follows:
Diclazuril is an anticoccidial (antiprotozoal) compound with activity against several genera of the phylum Apicomplexa. PROTAZIL® (diclazuril) is supplied as oral pellets containing 1.56% diclazuril to be mixed as a top-dress in feed. Inert ingredients include dehydrated alfalfa meal, wheat middlings, cane molasses and propionic acid (preservative). INDICATIONS PROTAZIL® (1.56% diclazuril) Antiprotozoal Pellets are indicated for the treatment of equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) caused by Sarcocystis neurona in horses. DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Dosage: PROTAZIL® (1.56% diclazuril) is administered as a top dress in the horse’s daily grain ration at a rate of 1 mg diclazuril per kg (0.45 mg diclazuril/lb) of body weight for 28 days. The quantity of PROTAZIL® necessary to deliver this dose is 64 mg pellets per kg (29 mg pellets/lb) of body weight. Administration: To achieve this dose, weigh the horse (or use a weigh tape)). Scoop up PROTAZIL® to the level (cup mark) corresponding to the dose for the horse’s body weight using the following chart:
Weight Range of Horse (lb)
mLs of Pellets
Weight Range of Horse (lb)
mLs of Pellets
275 - 524 525 - 774 775 - 1024 1025 - 1274
20 30 40 50
1275 - 1524 1525 - 1774 1775 - 2074 -
60 70 80 -
One 2-lb bucket of PROTAZIL® will treat one 1100-lb horse for 28 days. One 10-lb bucket of PROTAZIL® will treat five 1100-lb horses for 28 days. CONTRAINDICATIONS Use of PROTAZIL® (1.56% diclazuril) Antiprotozoal Pellets is contraindicated in horses with known hypersensitivity to diclazuril. WARNINGS For use in horses only. Do not use in horses intended for human consumption. Not for human use. Keep out of reach of children. PRECAUTIONS The safe use of PROTAZIL® (1.56% diclazuril) Antiprotozoal Pellets in horses used for breeding purposes, during pregnancy, or in lactating mares has not been evaluated. The safety of PROTAZIL® (1.56% diclazuril) Antiprotozoal Pellets with concomitant therapies in horses has not been evaluated. ADVERSE REACTIONS There were no adverse effects noted in the field study which could be ascribed to diclazuril. To report suspected adverse reactions, to obtain a MSDS, or for technical assistance call 1-800-224-5318. CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY The effectiveness of diclazuril in inhibiting merozoite production of Sarcocystis neurona and S. falcatula in bovine turbinate cell cultures was studied by Lindsay and Dubey (2000).1 Diclazuril inhibited merozoite production by more than 80% in cultures of S. neurona or S. falcatula treated with 0.1 ng/mL diclazuril and greater than 95% inhibition of merozoite production (IC 95 ) was observed when infected cultures were treated with 1.0 ng/mL diclazuril. The clinical relevance of the in vitro cell culture data has not been determined. PHARMACOKINETICS IN THE HORSE The oral bioavailability of diclazuril from the PROTAZIL® (1.56% diclazuril) Antiprotozoal Pellets at a 5 mg/kg dose rate is approximately 5%. Related diclazuril concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) range between 1% and 5% of the concentrations observed in the plasma. Nevertheless, based upon equine pilot study data, CSF concentrations are expected to substantially exceed the in vitro IC 95 estimates for merozoite production (Dirikolu et al., 1999) 2. Due to its long terminal elimination half-life in horses (approximately 43-65 hours), diclazuril accumulation occurs with once-daily dosing. Corresponding steady state blood levels are achieved by approximately Day 10 of administration. EFFECTIVENESS Two hundred and fourteen mares, stallions, and geldings of various breeds, ranging in age from 9.6 months to 30 years, were enrolled in a multi-center field study. All horses were confirmed EPMpositive based on the results of clinical examinations and laboratory testing, including CSF Western Blot analyses. Horses were administered PROTAZIL® (1.56% diclazuril) Antiprotozoal Pellets at doses of 1, 5, or 10 mg diclazuril/kg body weight as a top-dress on their daily grain ration for 28 days. The horses were then evaluated for clinical changes via a modified Mayhew neurological scale on Day 48 as follows: 0. Normal, neurological deficits not detected. 1. Neurological deficits may be detectable at normal gaits; signs exacerbated with manipulative procedures (e.g., backing, turning in tight circles, walking with head elevation, truncal swaying, etc.). 2. Neurological deficit obvious at normal gaits or posture; signs exacerbated with manipulative procedures. 3. Neurological deficit very prominent at normal gaits: horses give the impression they may fall (but do not) and buckle or fall with manipulative procedures. 4. Neurological deficit is profound at normal gait: horse frequently stumbles or trips and may fall at normal gaits or when manipulative procedures were utilized. 5. Horse is recumbent, unable to rise. Each horse’s response to treatment was compared to its pre-treatment values. Successful response to treatment was defined as clinical improvement of at least one grade by Day 48 ± conversion of CSF to Western Blot-negative status for S. neurona or achievement of Western Blot-negative CSF status without improvement of 1 ataxia grade. Forty-two horses were initially evaluated for effectiveness and 214 horses were evaluated for safety. Clinical condition was evaluated by the clinical investigator’s subjective scoring and then corroborated by evaluation of the neurological examination videotapes by a masked panel of three equine veterinarians. Although 42 horses were evaluated for clinical effectiveness, corroboration of clinical effectiveness via videotape evaluation was not possible for one horse due to missing neurologic examination videotapes. Therefore, this horse was not included in the success rate calculation. Based on the numbers of horses that seroconverted to negative Western Blot status, and the numbers of horses classified as successes by the clinical investigators, 28 of 42 horses (67%) at 1 mg/ kg were considered successes. With regard to independent expert masked videotape assessments, 10 of 24 horses (42%) at 1 mg/kg were considered successes. There was no clinical difference in effectiveness among the 1, 5, and 10 mg/kg treatment group results. Adverse events were reported for two of the 214 horses evaluated for safety. In the first case, a horse was enrolled showing severe neurologic signs. Within 24 hours of dosing, the horse was recumbent, biting, and exhibiting signs of dementia. The horse died, and no cause of death was determined. In the second case, the horse began walking stiffly approximately 13 days after the start of dosing. The referring veterinarian reported that the horse had been fed grass clippings and possibly had laminitis. ANIMAL SAFETY PROTAZIL® (1.56% diclazuril) Antiprotozoal Pellets were administered to 30 horses (15 males and 15 females, ranging from 5 to 9 months of age) in a target animal safety study. Five groups of 6 horses each (3 males and 3 females) received 0, 5 (5X), 15 (15X), 25 (25X) or 50 (50X) mg diclazuril/kg (2.27mg/lb) body weight/day for 42 consecutive days as a top-dress on the grain ration of the horse. The variables measured during the study included: clinical and physical observations, body weights, food and water consumption, hematology, serum chemistry, urinalysis, fecal analysis, necropsy, organ weights, gross and histopathologic examinations. The safety of diclazuril top-dress administered to horses at 1 mg/kg once daily cannot be determined based solely on this study because of the lack of an adequate control group (control horses tested positive for the test drug in plasma and CSF). However, possible findings associated with the drug were limited to elevations in BUN, creatinine, and SDH and less than anticipated weight gain. Definitive test article-related effects were decreased grain/top-dress consumption in horses in the 50 mg/kg group. In a second target animal safety study, PROTAZIL® (1.56% diclazuril) Antiprotozoal Pellets were administered to 24 horses (12 males and 12 females, ranging from 2 to 8 years of age). Three groups of 4 horses/sex/group received 0, 1, or 5 mg diclazuril/kg body weight/day for 42 days as a top-dress on the grain ration of the horse. The variables measured during the study included physical examinations, body weights, food and water consumption, hematology, and serum chemistry. There were no test article-related findings seen during the study. STORAGE INFORMATION Store between 15°C to 30°C (59°F to 86°F). HOW SUPPLIED PROTAZIL® (1.56 % diclazuril) Antiprotozoal Pellets are supplied in 2-lb (0.9 kg) and 10-lb (4.5 kg) buckets. REFERENCES 1. Lindsay, D. S., and Dubey, J. P. 2000. Determination of the activity of diclazuril against Sarcocystis neurona and Sarcocystis falcatula in cell cultures. J. Parasitology, 86(1):164–166. 2. Dirikolu, L., Lehner, F., Nattrass, C., Bentz, B. G., Woods, W. E., Carter, W. E., Karpiesiuk, W. G., Jacobs, J., Boyles, J., Harkins, J. D., Granstrom, D. E. and Tobin, T. 1999. Diclazuril in the horse: Its identification and detection and preliminary pharmacokinetics. J. Vet. Pharmacol. Therap. 22:374–379. May 2010 Intervet Inc. 56 Livingston Ave, Roseland, New Jersey 07068 © 2010 Intervet Inc. All rights reserved. 08-10 211.x.3.1.0
December 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE
The Science of Convenient Protazil® (1.56% diclazuril) is the only FDA-approved alfalfa-based top dress antiprotozoal pellet for the treatment of EPM. • Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a serious neurological disease that can strike anytime, anywhere. Make treatment easy with Protazil® • Safe and accurate dosing with a calibrated scoop • Easier to use than paste, less stress for you and your horse • Rapid absorption — no loading dose required1 Now that’s convenient. Ask your veterinarian for Protazil®. Visit us at Protazil.com to learn more about Merck Animal Health and the equine products and programs that help keep horses healthy. Use of Protazil® (1.56% dicazuril) is contraindicated in horses with known hypersensitivity to diclazuril. Safe use in horses used for breeding purposes, during pregnancy, or in lactating mares has not been evaluated. The safety of Protazil® (1.56% dicazuril) with concomitant therapies in horses has not been evaluated. See related page in this issue for details. For use in horses only. Do not use in horses intended for human consumption. Not for human use. Keep out of reach of children.
The Science of Healthier Animals
1
Hunyadi L, Papich MG, Pusterla N. Pharmacokinetics of a low‑dose and DA‑labeled dose of diclazuril administered orally as a pelleted top dressing in adult horses. J of Vet Pharmacology and Therapeutics (accepted) 2014, doi: 10.111/jvp.12176. The correlation between pharmacokinetic data and clinical effectiveness is unknown
2 Giralda Farms • Madison, NJ 07940 • merck‑animal‑health‑usa.com • 800‑521‑5767 Copyright © 2017 Intervet Inc., d/b/a/ Merck Animal Health, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. All rights reserved. 3662 EQ-FP AD Protazil®
saddle sores
Back Pain? Poor Attitude? Or Something Else? By Katherine Simard Katherine is Rocky Mountain Dressage Society President, a USDF Instructor Certification Junior Faculty, a USDF Certified Instructor through Fourth Level, USDF “L� Graduate with Distinction, and a USDF Bronze and Silver medalist. Editor's Note: This article won first place for a GMO Newsletter Award for first-person experience for GMOs with 500 or more members category. It appeared in the May 2017 issue of the Rocky Mountain Dressage Society newsletter, The Centaur.
L
ast year I realized that as each month passed my mare Springfield, aka Millie, was becoming increasingly grumpy with me and her equine friends. She had always been sweet and had a very confident yet carefree attitude. She had her red mare moments. But last year the chestnut mare stereotype moments seemed to be the norm Millie
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saddle sores
Unhappy Millie
and the sweet, pretty, willing to try girl was gone. By fall, I could hear her squealing at everything and anything in her range as I rode and taught during the day. She was also becoming very reactive under saddle and Millie is a mare who does not spook at much if anything! Her heat cycles had gone from barely noticeable to very obvious.
The beginning of November found me standing in the lobby of Littleton Equine Medical Center asking who could help and where should I start. Dr. Jessica Dunbar overheard me and came out to offer her suggestions. Following her suggestion, I booked an appointment with Dr. Jackie Christakos for November 18. On
the day of the appointment Millie was in a very strong transitional heat and upon examination quite sore behind. This of course lead us to further examine her back and SI area. Millie wanted no part of the examination process once we went beyond her shoulders. Even though she was reactive to back palpation, I did not believe
it was just her back bothering her. We decided to free lunge her a bit to see if she relaxed, which she did. Dr. Christakos was still not sure we would get a true indication of her back pain because she was still very wary of the exam process. I went and started scratching her favorite places and she noticeably relaxed. Dr. Christakos was still pretty convinced it was something in her back. I was less convinced as I know this horse very well and the symptoms seemed cyclical to me. We decided to treat her with muscle relaxants and bute and re-evaluate in a couple of weeks. Dr. Christakos mentioned a blood test to see if the ovaries were a factor as I kept saying I had a feeling it was something reproductive and not her back. I agreed to have the blood drawn for an anti-Mullerian hormone test. This blood test is sent to UC Davis and is the same test human women have done if there is a suspicion of ovarian cancer. The cost was $150.
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saddle sores
Happy Millie
As time passed with Millie on the bute and muscle relaxant not much seemed to change. In some ways, Millie was worse and she seemed out of sorts on the medications. November 30, I received a call from Dr. Christa-
kos with the blood results. The high end of normal for a mare is 3.8. Millie’s anti-Mullerian results came back a 6.2!!! There was a reproductive issue. The lab said we could wait and retest in two months. I decided not to wait as I had been feeling this was the issue all along! We decided not to go further with the bute and muscle relaxant combination but to go ahead and give her the bute for a few more days. Millie was off all medications by December 3. By December 5th, she seemed more herself mentally but still unwilling under saddle. Cantering seemed to be the biggest issue and canter is her favorite gait! I noticed she no longer wanted to lift her back when being ridden and could be very reactive when being groomed around her flanks. As LEMC’s reproductive specialist, Dr. Rebecca Dietz was called in on my and Dr. Christakos’ request. December 12 Dr. Dietz palpated and did an ultrasound examination on Millie. Millie
was more cooperative during the examination, but we did give her a mild tranquilizer to do a thorough exam. While there was nothing Dr. Dietz could say was 100 percent abnormal, many of her findings were not necessarily normal for it being the middle of December. The ovaries were quite large with many follicles inside. The ovaries seemed to have thickened walls or fluid build-up in the linings. Combined with the change in attitude and the results of the blood test, Dr. Dietz recommended an ovariectomy for Millie. I decided to wait until after the holidays to schedule Millie’s surgery. I had been keeping a journal since Millie’s appointment with Dr. Christakos and continued to do so through the surgery. My entries are filled with Millie’s good and bad days fluctuating like a rollercoaster. Good days were usually centered around her being more social and interactive, but not wanting to canter under saddle. Bad days included nervous pooping in the crossties and being generally unrideable under saddle. Definitely not my mare!
I didn’t think surgery could come fast enough for either one of us! January 11, I brought Millie to the clinic for surgery. January 12, she had the surgery done by Drs. Peter Rakestraw and Dustin Devine. It was done standing in the stocks. Two incisions were made on each side of her flanks. One for the laparoscopic device and a larger one to remove the ovary through. One thing to note is that because this surgery is not performed under general anesthesia, my surgical insurance policy did not cover it! Total cost when all was said and done was $2000. I saw the removed ovaries at the clinic post-surgery. They were huge and quite firm. When I picked her up Millie was the talk of the clinic. “Did you hear what they found inside?” Apparently, there were several quarter sized cysts/follicles in each and she was getting ready to release another large follicle. Remember it is the beginning of January! Poor girl had to be uncomfortable. Tissue was sent to histology at CSU.
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saddle sores
Millie’s recovery was rough for the first twenty-four hours back at the barn. She seemed interested in eating the hay she was gradually being fed. However, she was not drinking and there was no manure passing. At about 1:00 a.m. the following morning she finally passed some “raisins”. But still wasn’t drinking. By morning there was more manure in her stall but she still was not drinking and had begun shivering. She was wearing a blanket and the stall door to her run was closed. She appeared bright and alert. Was it pain or colic? I called Dr. David Lori and he recommended changing her pain medication. Millie had been sent home with bute. He suggested switching to banamine and begin soaking her hay. That did the trick! Within another 12 hours Millie was eating, drinking, pooping and peeing! All music to a horse person’s ears! Note for internal surgeries…ask for banamine to control pain. Not bute. Millie was also sent home with SMZs and
we went through all of the usual ways to get it in her. Surprisingly, even though she was getting both banamine and SMZs via an oral syringe, she never once argued with me about getting either one. Was she just a really good patient or was my sweet cooperative mare returning? Over the next two weeks, Millie steadily improved. Happy to have the window of her stall opened. Happy to get her run back. Happy to go on walks. No squealing! January 23 Dr. Rakestraw called with the histology results. Granulosa tissues in both ovaries. In lay terms, equine ovarian cancer that causes reproductive dysfunction and the mares with it tend to be aggressive. He said in his experience it was the first time he had the results be abnormal in both ovaries. He was glad I had chosen surgery and glad they had removed both ovaries. As I write this near the end of February, Millie is still recovering. I hope to ride her for the
first time at the end of this week. Her behavior has improved immensely! Everyone who works with and around her has seen the change. She is more at peace with herself and her sweet expression is back when she sees me in the barn. I wonder how long “female issues” had been causing her pain. I wonder how many mares are misdiagnosed with back pain. As one vet said, if I did not know her so well I could have ended up paying for back injections which may have treated symptoms but not the cause. Wondering if your mare has an issue with her ovaries? For $150 you can have your vet draw blood for a test that will help you at least be on the right path to help your mare be her best. It may be that easy.
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Read about more health issues in mares in the April 2013 USDF Connection magazine
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December 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE
Second Thoughts on First Love by Monika von Windheim
Monika's daughters, Natalia (who worked at the 2016 auction) and Katriana; her husband Jesko; and friend/trainer Cassidy Sitton
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M
y husband and daughters ride dressage and wanted to find a young horse they could train together. Through Dr. Astrid von VelsenZwerck, we had learned of the Haupt und Landgestuet Marbach. It is a state-run stud farm in southern Germany. We had visited there before, but this time we were going with the purpose of buying a horse at the annual March auction. The stud farm’s history goes back 500 years, but the technology is current. We had preselected several horses, from the live-stream we had watched a few weeks earlier. In the comfort of our living room, in North Carolina, we saw the horses being presented to the public for the first time. The horses were shown free-jumping, in the arena in The M on one of the entrance gates is the symbol for Marbach
Marbach. One daughter served as secretary and made notes in order to rank our favorite horses. It was an easy flight via London to Stuttgart, the closest international airport. At the airport, we rented a car to take us the rest of the way. The car trip went as smoothly as possible, considering a late season snow fall on the winding country roads. A hearty German dinner, accompanied by a local beer, completed our day. We looked forward to going to bed, as in the morning we would have a chance to meet the horses. After breakfast, we headed straight to the arena. Test rides were booked for the horses we were most interested in. Not to let on which were our favorites, my daughters made sure to test ride a few other horses. We had three days to watch, ride, examine, and ask questions about the 22 horses. Every morning, the horses would be lightly ridden, in groups of
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Enjoying breakfast the morning of the auction.
Waiting for the auction to begin
three. After the grooms completed the warm ups, the horses were ready for their test rides. Under the guidance of the grooms, prospective buyers would be allowed to ride. It was amazing how well the process went. My daughters were thrilled, and compared notes about each ride. Thankfully, we had time to test ride, as it was a new list of horses at the end of each day. I was becoming concerned, as I noticed that they
my family and a friend from North Carolina. It was a pleasant evening with conversations switching between English and German; however, no mention was made of which horse was most desired. The next morning was the day of the auction! For the first time, we had to join a line to enter the arena. A crowd had arrived to purchase their tickets, with assigned seats. The annual
were not agreeing about which horse was the one for our family. The evening before the auction, we joined some other participants for a dinner with the director and staff in charge of the auction. It was a small group of those who had travelled the furthest; a young woman looking for a fox hunting horse who had driven two hours, a man and his daughter who came regularly from their farm in Canada, and
auction also serves as entertainment for the local horse lovers. For the formal presentation, the horses entered the arena, again in groups of three. While the announcer commented on each horse, we watched the groom present the best walk, trot, and canter. The first group would leave and the next three would enter. The grooms made all the horses look great. We admitted to ourselves that we were fortu-
December 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE
The horses are brought into the ring in groups of three.
nate to have had the opportunity to test ride. Not all the horses were as easy to ride as the grooms made it look. After the presentation, we had a well-deserved break for lunch. It was a festive atmosphere, with food not far away. Kiosks offering the local fare and drink were situated outside the arena. Conversations were about the horses, just as much as they were about the beautiful day. During this break, my family strategized on how we would bid. We all agreed on the maximum price that would be paid for the horses we were interested in. As we returned to our seats, we received the order of the auction and saw our selected horses were spread throughout. To begin the auction, the local sponsors and officials were recognized in the crowd. Then the auctioneer was brought to his station, in a horse drawn carriage. I had never been to an auction before and wanted to get on with the show. Later, I learned these presentaDecember 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE
Riders switch horses under the watchful eye of Mr. Single.
tions were like the warm-up for a concert. Finally, we heard the rules of the auction and the first horse entered. The horses were ridden into the arena on their own. For some horses, this was their first time
not having another horse in sight. The groom knew that all eyes were watching, and that the ride could well determine the selling price of the horse. Then the numbers started. The auctioneer kept finding bids, and the price
increased. A shriek of delight came from the winner of the bid, soon after the bang of the gavel. As exciting as it was to hear how high the price went for a horse, I knew that was not in our best interests. We had agreed that
my husband would do the bidding. Pleading looks and nudges were used to encourage him on, but he was dealing with some determined buyers. Horses that we had hoped to bring to North Carolina were going to stay in Germany. We had one more chance as our last choice entered, the third horse from the end of the auction. First Love was three months shy of her third birthday. She was definitely young enough for my family. We didn’t pay her much attention when we first saw her from our living room, weeks before the auction. However, we learned more about her during our stay. Perhaps it was the extra weeks of training, or that seeing her in person was much different than seeing her on the TV, but something made us notice her. She was added to our list while others had been crossed off. Now was the chance to make her ours! I was nervously waiting for the hammer to fall, but the auctioneer always managed to
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drag out one last bid. After 3 attempts, our bid won! My husband was thrilled to be done with the ordeal, and we were all thrilled to have the winning bid on such a wonderful mare. Young horses learn a lot from hanging out with their peers. We decided that First Love would benefit by staying another year with her herd. Now we are looking forward to returning to next year’s auction. We will reintroduce ourselves to First Love before we bring her home, maybe with a friend.
eTRAK Extra
Natalia test riding First Love
Listen to "Tips for Evaluating Dressage Horses" an audio excerpt from a session held at the 2013 AdequanÂŽ/USDF Convention
December 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE
Heard around the arena
What interesting or fun thing have you heard lately? Send it to us using #aroundthearena
Attendees at the 2017 AdequanÂŽ/USDF Annual Convention posted to social media.
December 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE
Heard around the arena
What interesting or fun thing have you heard lately? Send it to us using #aroundthearena
Attendees at the 2017 AdequanÂŽ/USDF Annual Convention posted to social media.
December 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE
USDF FLASHBACK
Kyra Downton Reprinted from the July/August 2015 USDF Connection magazine.
Then World War I erupted, and the Russian Revolution changed Downton’s life forever. For three specially in the early days years, she told the San Franciscoof American dressage, the area Country Almanac in a 1986 pioneers of our sport—a number interview, the family subsisted on of them immigrants—had some the barest of foodstuffs. Then her remarkable stories of how they’d father sent Kyra and her mother to arrived in this country and beShanghai for safety. The young girl, come involved in the equestrian who would live in Shanghai until world here. But perhaps none had after World War II, did odd jobs a rockier road than Kyra Geintze to earn money, including developDownton. ing an artistic talent that would Downton (1913-1999) was resurface later in her life. She also born in Russia and grew up in managed to ride again, becoming Vladivostok, not far from the involved with racehorses and huntChinese and North Korean borers—until “the Japanese came and ders. The daughter of a cavalry put me in a concentration camp. officer, she found herself on a horse That’s another two years of starvaat the age of three; later, she and tion,” Downton told the Almanac. her brother rode donkeys given to (Although this account could them by their father. lead one to assume that Downton was barely scraping by during the bulk of her years in China, close Podcast Alert friends paint a different picture. As the well-known dressage judge Check out our J. Ashton Moore recounted for podcast 83 about Kyra Downton at the California Dressage Society’s usdf.podbean.com. “Millennium” issue of Dressage Letters in 2000, “She had a stable
E
PODCAST
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USDF FLASHBACK
of race horses which raced successfully at the magnificent Shanghai Racecourse, and she had a stable of hunters and riding horses… in another part of the city (where she had a bamboo-covered riding arena and a groom for every horse!).” The historical record doesn’t include an account of how or where they met, but after the war, Kyra Geintze married Franklyn Downton, a US Army officer from Minneapolis. The Downtons relocated to California, where they settled in Atherton, near Palo Alto. It was there that Mrs. Downton’s equestrian interests were finally able to take center stage. According to the Country Almanac profile, it was at an equestrian competition in Pebble Beach that Downton, who had won a jumping championship, was told she “would have won the three-day championship if she had entered the dressage.” It was also at Pebble Beach that Downton met the late Elizabeth Searle, an instrumental figure in California dressage who
later received the USDF Lifetime Achievement Award. As Searle recounted for the CDS Dressage Letters in 2000, both women were involved in eventing in the 1950s when they met. Searle and Downton became close friends, and together they became more involved in dressage. “Kyra became interested in having some clinics at her lovely Atherton estate and began to invite people on a fairly regular basis,” Searle wrote. Downton’s clinicians included such well-known European names as Lt. Col. Hans Moeller and Col. Waldemar Seunig. In pursuit of her dressage education, Downton, like many other American riders, traveled to Europe to train. It was during a stint in Germany that she purchased the gray Holsteiner gelding Kadett, who was trained to Prix St. Georges when she bought him and finished to Grand Prix by Downton, according to Searle. Downton on the gold-medal podium at the 1967 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada
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USDF FLASHBACK
In the May 1972 issue of Dressage Letters, former CDS president Melanie Lofholm wrote of the horse: “For the ’60s at least, Kadett was just about the only horse that had any connection at all with Grand Prix de Dressage for Californians, who were just beginning to emerge in numbers with their growing interest.” Downton would return to Europe with Kadett to train and show. She worked with such notables as Col. Alois Podhajsky of the Spanish Riding School—who would later come to the US to coach her before the 1968 Olympics—and Josef Neckermann. Downton’s and Kadett’s competitive high-water mark was at the 1967 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada, where they won the individual gold medal and team silver. The pair also competed at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, where they did not fare as well, placing twenty-first individually and eighth in the team standings. Although Downton was the highest-placing US dressage rider in Mexico City, she called the
The Holsteiner Kadett was possibly the first Grand Prix horse in California
December 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE
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performance a “heartbreak” and “the agony of defeat.” She told the Country Almanac that the problem was “a training regime [sic] so intense that it made both her and the horse tense and spoiled the perfect understanding between them.” Her Olympic Games disappointment caused Downton to throw herself into her other passion: art. She began to paint and to carve sculptures from redwood driftwood—birds, nudes, horses, and other animals. Some of the equine sculptures became special dressage-show prizes, Searle recalled. Atherton Dressage, as the community at the Downtons’ facility became known, served as a fore-
runner to the California Dressage Society. Downton nurtured dressage in her area not only by hosting dressage clinics and associated social events, but also by importing warmbloods from Europe, becoming involved with the US Pony Clubs, and assisting promising youth riders. Downton, who died in 1999, was inducted into the Roemer Foundation/USDF Hall of Fame in 2002. The “imperious Russian” with the “diffident but generous nature,” as Jeff Moore described her, was a true dressage trailblazer, taking California and the US to a level of excellence and involvement it had never before experienced.
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GMO SPOTLIGHT
Tell us about your GMO. #GMOSpotlight
Indiana Dressage Society (IDS) Group Member Organizations (GMOs) are the foundation of USDF and integral in bringing dressage and dressage education to the masses. Stay connected with your local dressage community and support dressage at the local level by joining a GMO in your area today! USDF GMO Established: 1972 Locality: Region 2, Indiana Website: www.indianadressage.org How many members does your GMO have annually, on average? 230 members Tell us about your GMO. We who are part of the Indiana Dressage Society (IDS) take pride in the unique legacy of our club. The Indiana Dressage Society was one of the original founding USDF GMOs. Our club founder, Dan Kirtley, was a 30-year veteran Navy pilot. He took up riding dressage while at his duty station near Bogota, Columbia. As part of the Columbian Mounted Police, he competed in dressage and was a silver medalist at the 1964 Columbian National Dressage Championships. After retirement, Dan returned to his roots in Indiana and led the founding of IDS, in 1972. Dan Kirtley's name lives on in the perpetual Imperio Trophy, named for Dan's horse Imperio, and the annually awarded Kirtley Cup Trophy. Does your GMO offer unique classes or activities that cater to youth, adult amateurs, or professionals? If so, please provide a brief description. IDS started with only 23 members. Today have 237 members, and offer clinics, educational programs, schooling and recognized dressage shows, and a year-end championship for all categories of members.
What type of educational events does your GMO offer? IDS educational events include mounted and unmounted clinics. We have hosted USDF L programs, USDF Adult Clinics, and USDF Instructor/Trainer Programs. We offer a variety of volunteer training programs, and have recently created a set of videos to help teach volunteers how to correctly perform a variety of important functions at dressage shows. Speaking on volunteers, did you know that the 1987 Pan American Games were held in Indiana? The equestrian events took place south of Indianapolis- now known as the Hoosier Horse Park- that continues to host a wide array of equestrian events. Many IDS members and volunteers contributed to the building and success of the Games. What type of “fun� events does your GMO offer? At the IDS Year End Awards Celebration, we gather to share our appreciation of our friendships, our horses, and our supporters. The gala features a silent auction offering a variety of choices from professional team sports tickets to specialty chocolates. Performance and service awards recognize those who ride, as well as those who work to make IDS a vibrant club with a bright future. Additional Comments: For forty-five years, IDS has worked diligently to make our mission a reality. Our mission is: to promote the growth and December 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE
GMO SPOTLIGHT
development of amateur athletes in the sport of dressage through competition and education. In following our mission, we have brought quality dressage shows and educational events to our
area. We currently hold four USEF-licensed/USDF-recognized shows over two weekends, three schooling shows, and a head-tohead championship for all classes and rider divisions. The schooling
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shows welcome traditional dressage riders, as well as eventing and western dressage riders. IDS supports a robust awards program, offering competitions for every level of achievement. IDS
has also led fund-raising events, which resulted in the construction of a covered pavilion and two covered ring steward shelters at the Hoosier Horse Park, located in Edinburgh, Indiana.
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YourDressage is a chance to share your story with the dressage community. We are looking for personal stories about you, your horse, or horse-related experience. Your story should be 600-1000 words and should be sent as a Word document. We will need photos to go with the story, with a preference for candid shots that are clear and well composed. Please submit photos as JPEG formatted files. Also, if you have any video(s) that we can use, related to your story, make sure to include their hyperlinks.
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Disclaimer: The United States Dressage Federation does not guarantee that all submitted stories will be published. Any opinions expressed in the pages of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of the United States Dressage Federation
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For more information, check out the USDF Member Guide available on the USDF website and app. December 2017 Z YOURDRESSAGE