VOLU ME 7
AUS TR ALIA
Gastric Ulcers Travelling Horses Training Endurance Horses Understanding Feed Labels
FEEDING ENDURANCE HORSES VO LU M E 7 AU $9.95 NZ $12.95 inc GST
ENERGY METABOLISM 2016 TOM QUILTY
THE NEXT GENERATION Breeding for conformation, stamina, temperament & versatility
T AY L A H A D Z I & S A S H A L AW S - K I N G W E C 2 0 1 6
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O S O C A P B R AV E H E A RT & B E N H U D S O N 2 0 1 6 N AT I O N A L F E I C H A M P I O N
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C A P B R AV E H E A RT & B E N H U D S O N
O S O E LY C I A N & H A R RY B E R G
OUR GOALS FOR THE FUTURE n n n n n n n
Continue with our proven breeding program to breed horses for conformation, stamina, temperament and versatility Utilising our breeding facility by offering our stallions at public stud Offering a wide selection of horses for sale to suit every type of rider in all disciplines Focus on preparing more horses and riders to represent the Australian Endurance team overseas Build on our “apprenticeship� program offering education and jobs to more future riders into the sport Host more FEI/AERA rides at Oso to forge a cohesive relationship between the two associations Continue with our ongoing support of Endurance in Australia Sharon Meyers
C O N TAC T U S : Amanda & Andrew Kettlewell Table Top, NSW Australia m: +61 428 849 720 p: +61 2 6020 3286 e: admin@osoarabians.com.au
www.osoarabians.com.au
SarahSarah Sullivan Photography Sullivan Photography
O S O N I C H O L A S & C H E R RY C U M M I N S
Energy Metabolism .................................................................................................4 An Enduring Partnership – Poseidon Moon and Frances Overheu............................6 Tom Quilty Gold Cup 2016 .....................................................................................8 Swabbing at Endurance Events .............................................................................20 Training an Endurance Horse ................................................................................22 Travelling with Horses ...........................................................................................34 Talking about Training...........................................................................................38
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Understanding Feed and Supplement Labels.........................................................46 One Horse One Rider – Malcolm Matters and Allamir Silver Domanic....................50 No Hoof, No Horse, No Ride! ................................................................................52 Feeding the Endurance Horse ...............................................................................58 Gastric Ulcer Syndrome in Performance Horses .....................................................64 Complementary Therapies ....................................................................................70 Why Register My Arabian Endurance Horse? .........................................................74 Youth No Barrier to Success ..................................................................................78 Trials and Tribulations of Crossing Water ...............................................................82 Endurance Legends – The Summerfield and Mulcahy Families ...............................84 Advertising Index ..................................................................................................88
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Sasha Laws-King riding OSO Edith, bred and owned by OSO Arabians. Photo by Miroslava Vidová.
Nicola Goodman, Richard Locke, Karen Belik
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‘Glengannon Serenity’ (Kalkadoon Zorro x SoBroth) 2008 Anglo Arabian gelding, qualified endurance horse 2016
G lengannon A rabians Beaudesert l Queensland l Australia www.glengannonarabians.com
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ndurance horses are relatively unique as equine athletes as they produce most of their energy from aerobic metabolism, as opposed to the anaerobic metabolism used by racehorses and the like.
IN THE ENDURANCE HORSE Written by Anna Erickson
The equation for aerobic metabolism is: C6H12O 6 (glucose) + 6O2 (oxygen) → 6CO2 (carbon dioxide) + 6H2O (water) + Energy (ATP) The chief sources of the glucose for this process are glycogen stores in muscles and, very importantly, volatile fatty acids (VFAs). These are produced by bacterial fermentation of forage in the hindgut and are either transformed to glucose in the liver, or used directly as energy sources by cells. The major VFA produced by hindgut fermentation is propionic acid, which is also the most important VFA for conversion to glucose in the liver. Horses are also able to produce glycerol, which can be converted to glucose, from the breakdown of body fat1. This may help explain a research finding from a study done on horses entering the Tevis 100 mile race in the USA, which found that horses with an ‘ideal’ body score of 5 to 5.5 were more likely to complete the ride2. (A body score of 5 on the USA scale equates to 3 on the Australian scale). Feeding a diet which can readily be converted to VFAs represents the safest way to provide an ongoing energy source for the horse during a ride, rather than relying solely on stored energy in muscles. Ideally, 60–75% of an endurance horse’s energy requirements (home diet) should come from fibre1. There is some evidence that feeding a diet including more fat at home can help ‘shift’ a horse’s metabolism towards using body fat and VFAs as an energy source rather than muscle glycogen and glucose. When formulating horse diets, if the diet already contains a significant level of grain (25%– 35% of the energy) and more calories are required, serious consideration should be given to providing this extra energy as fats or oils.
A hindgut full of fibre also helps to retain sodium, an electrolyte lost in sweat. Photo Sue Crockett
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At a ride, it is tempting to think that more ‘calorie dense’ sources of energy such as grains will provide an energy boost but these ‘quick release’ energy sources will cause insulin spikes and although they provide immediate energy they can also cause a subsequent energy ‘crash’. One widespread recommendation is that endurance horses should not receive grain feeds less than three hours before the start of a ride. The safest way to provide ongoing energy to the horse is via fibre. This can be hay or chaff, but for fussier eaters consider alternative fibre sources such as beet pulp, hay cubes, or soy hulls. Horses with hindguts which are pre-conditioned to digest fibre (those fed a forage based diet at home) can be extremely efficient at releasing energy
from fibre sources. Remember also that a high fibre diet can condition the hindgut to act as a fluid reservoir. A hindgut full of fibre also helps to retain sodium, an electrolyte lost in sweat. A healthy hindgut in a typical 500kg horse may contain 35 to 80 litres of fluid, with associated electrolytes. (Meyer & Coenen, 1989). This ‘reservoir’ in the digestive tract provides a source of water and electrolytes for the horse to draw on. It is important to note that, due to the use of the aerobic pathway for energy production, fatigue in endurance horses is unlikely to be due to accumulation of lactic acid, unlike other equine sports. Rather, it is due to depletion of muscle glycogen stores and lack of VFAs as an energy source. Muscle glycogen is constantly being replenished even during exercise, but it is a slow process. As speeds over distance lift, the tendency to spend periods of time in anaerobic metabolism increases: C6H12O 6 (glucose) → 2 C 3H6O3 (lactic acid) + Energy (ATP) Anaerobic metabolism is less efficient than aerobic metabolism, producing only two molecules of ATP from every glucose molecule, as opposed to 38 ATP molecules being produced by aerobic metabolism. In addition it releases lactic acid which when it accumulates can cause a drop in the pH level in muscles and even muscle damage if levels are high enough. This is the cause of ‘fatigue’ in animals exercising in the anaerobic zone, as opposed to muscle energy depletion. However, lactic acid accumulation is not thought to be the cause of muscle soreness post exercise, this is due to micro damage to hard working muscles. Overall, for an endurance horse, anaerobic metabolism is neither efficient nor a good idea, leading as it does to more muscle damage and fatigue in a relatively short space of time. The good news is that a horse’s maximum capacity for aerobic exercise (often referred to as VO2max) can be increased quite quickly – by up to 10% with as little as two weeks’ training3. Horses (and humans) switch to anaerobic energy metabolism when their maximum ability to use oxygen, often referred to as VO2max, is exceeded. VO2max is directly related to maximum heart rate (HRmax) which for most light breeds of horse is 220–230 beats per minute. For those who use heart rate monitors, they can be used to increase a horse’s VO2max. An adequate ‘base’ training stimulus occurs when the horse exercises at workloads equivalent to 40%–50% of VO2max, which equates to 60%–70% of HRmax. The target heart rate ‘zone’ for this work will therefore be 135–155 beats per minute.
Working heart rates in the range of 170–180 beats per minute will be close to a horse’s lactate threshold. Photo Sharon Meyers
More advanced training will involve some work at higher heart rate zones (160-180 beats per minute). Working heart rates in the range of 170–180 beats per minute (75%– 80% of HRmax) will be close to a horse’s lactate threshold. The lactate threshold is defined as the point at which lactate, the product of anaerobic metabolism, begins to accumulate in the blood. Training at or just below lactate threshold results in further improvements in aerobic capacity and the efficiency of fuel utilisation during exercise. This approach should only be used in animals which have an established base of fitness (to my mind, horses which have successfully completed a number of 80km rides and are ready to become competitive). It is an advanced technique.
Basic rules for maximising the efficiency and capacity of energy metabolism in the endurance horse are therefore: Feed mainly fibre at home to condition the hindgut to release volatile fatty acids as an energy source. Provide additional calories when required in the form of grains, but use judiciously. Consider providing more calories in the form of fats or oils. Feed fibre as much as possible at an actual ride. Exercise programmes for established endurance horses should aim to steadily and gradually increase the horse’s capacity for aerobic work by working close to their lactate threshold.
REFERENCES 1. Some Aspects of Feeding the Endurance Horse, Per Spangfors, SLR, Forskning, Sweden. 2. Garlinghouse, S. E. and Burrill, M. J. (1999), Relationship of body condition score to completion rate during 160 km endurance races. Equine Veterinary Journal, 31: 591–595. doi: 10.1111/j.20423306.1999.tb05290.x 3. Evans D. L., Rose R. J. (1987), Maximum oxygen uptake in racehorses: changes with training state and prediction from submaximal cardiorespiratory measurements. In Equine Exercise Physiology, eds Gillespie J. R., Robinson N. E. (ICEEP Publications, Davis, CA), 2:52–67.
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An Enduring Partnership POSEIDON MOON AND FRANCES OVERHEU
been in endurance for 20 years, clocking up 14,355kms but she says Poseidon Moon will probably see her out as ‘he’s got more endurance years left in him than I have’, but who knows! Of 111 rides he has entered, he completed 102 of them, winning 66 and placed in all bar 12 rides. He has clocked up 59 bestconditioned awards. What a freak – indeed. Frances says he’s a tough, stoic with a capital ‘S’ little horse with an ‘A’ for attitude. On any ride, he gets on with the business of endurance but acts like a tourist at times, stopping dead in his tracks to take in an interesting view or if he smells water nearby. Getting on with the business of endurance means sometimes galloping flat tack up the occasional steep hill in a very un-endurancelike fashion! Over the years he has become competitive and now wears a red ribbon. Right from the start, Frances has allowed him to be curious and has never been big on over-disciplining him. This may well have made Poseidon Moon the horse he is now. A well-seasoned horse, he has an absurdly low heart rate and is so relaxed in the vet ring he has been known to fall asleep! Interestingly, Frances doesn’t even own a heart rate monitor.
Photo: Main Event Photography
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n ugly, gangly, misshapen little foal, all head and legs, was born on a full moon in October 2000. Despite this, his family loved this Arabian foal to bits! His mother, Belgrade Athena (Yamegi Azarak x Adelina Zibi), aka Bella, had done a bit of dressage in the past but was now just ridden as a bush hack around the farm. She was a lovely, gentle and placid horse and it was a joint family decision to have a foal from her. So, being an endurance rider, Frances Overheu sent her off to Silmaril Chand (Arim x Crown Jewel), one of Western Australia’s best endurance stallions. Poseidon Moon (aka Homer) spent the first four years of his life running free and in his fifth year, he was broken-in and started his endurance career. Frances had previously given up Endurance Riding due to a shoulder replacement operation and a year spent in Melbourne. When arriving back in Perth she caught up with friends at an endurance ride and was hooked again! Homer was five – so it was obviously fate.
10,292 KILOMETRES AND STILL GOING STRONG During the last ten years he has gone from being cute, to a character, to a champion and then a freak. Midway through the 2016 season he passed the 10,000kms milestone and became a legend! In a sport where the partnership between horse and rider is of utmost importance they share a special partnership. No one else has ever ridden him. Frances, now 67 years old, has 6
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It’s fortunate Poseidon Moon is wellseasoned because when riding him at home his ‘A’ for attitude comes to the fore and the ‘S’ for stoic changes to ‘S’ for stubborn. In fact, sometimes if he’s in the mood he just stops and walks backwards and there is nothing Frances can do. During these moments she realises she might be paying the price for his lack of disciplining! He lives in a 4,000-acre paddock and when it’s time for a feed and he is not nearby, Frances jumps into the car and goes to find him. As part of his training regime she doesn’t feed him where she finds him, she turns the car around and calls him and drives at 40kph back to the yards – Poseidon Moon and his companion race her there. Frances insists she is not particularly competitive but what do you do when your horse goes like the wind and is competitive! She loves endurance because it’s a sport where you don’t have to be competitive – you can just complete and set your own goals. Her goal this year, his tenth as a qualified endurance horse, was to get to 10,000kms, which she has done. And it was fitting this was achieved during their 100th ride. Frances wonders if his success stems from the fact his microchip number ends in 747! Or maybe his toughness can be attributed to the fact he lives in a 4,000-acre bush paddock and has never seen a stable. Or it could be his lack of disciplining? It could be his breeding? Or maybe it’s just pure luck? Whatever it is, Poseidon Moon is truly a living legend and still going strong!
Where Dreams Become Reality
STALLIONS at stud
> Excellent heart rates
> Progeny winning around the globe
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BruMarBas Future (Imp USA)
Concherto FF
Future Farms regularly has a selection of horses available for sale for National and International markets. Your enquiry is invited.
www.futurefarmsarabians.com Kate & Doyle Dertell | PO Box 482, Romsey VIC 3434 | P: +61 3 5428 5255 | M: 0412 304 500 or 0411 756 683 | E: info@futurefarmsarabians.com
Fourth HW Paul Lengronne and RA Silver Dancer (BC)
Tom Quilty Gold Cup 2016 Written by Kelsey Young Photos Rob Featonby (unless stated otherwise)
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t the stroke of midnight on October 7, a chorus of cheers rang across the frosty clearing as the headlamps of 233 eager riders pierce through the darkness, setting off into the night for the first leg of their gruelling 160-kilometre journey. They have 24 hours to complete the distance, and in addition to their pre-ride vet check, there are six vet checks to pass along the way, all in pursuit of the coveted Quilty Buckle. This year marked the 51st running of the epic Tom Quilty ride. The ride’s location rotates between the states, this year it was held in Granite Hill, Lexton, right in the heart of Victoria’s gold rush territory. Just
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prior to the ride, the region was assaulted by one of the most extreme wet weather systems to hit in some time, making an already notoriously difficult ride even more formidable. Many competitors attributed the high attrition rate to these conditions, with just 120 of the 233 entrants riding to completion. You can’t venture far into the endurance world without learning the legend of the Tom Quilty Gold Cup. The patron of the cup was a great horseman and cattleman from the Kimberly in Western Australia. He provided the original Gold Cup, which now resides in the Stockman’s Hall of Fame in Longreach, Queensland. The inaugural
ride in 1966 saw the winning rider, Gabriel Stecher, and his purebred stallion Shalawi, famously taking the cup riding bareback in a time of 11 hours and 24 minutes. Since then, the spirit of the Quilty has been carried by all endurance riders, and is the ultimate goal for many. There is a real focus on horse welfare in this sport, which is epitomised by the well-known motto ‘to complete is to win’. There are many dedicated volunteers and committee members who help riders and horses along the way; whether it’s the ‘good luck’ from the TPRs, the carrots from the checkpoint stewards, or even the friendly hints after a vet out. This is a community where help is not hard to find. There were also welfare provisions in place at the Quilty in case of any trouble, including 20 vets at the ring, two vets for the on-site hospital, and a designated ‘track vet’ stationed with an all-terrain vehicle on course. In addition to this, there were radio communication checkpoints at regular intervals and rescue floats available. Head Vet this year was Narelle Cribb from Melbourne. Narelle has vetted rides all over Australia and overseas and enjoys competing her Derivative Arabians in many disciplines. She took me through the stringent vet check procedure that is used to ensure the welfare of horses throughout the Quilty weekend. “The horses were examined by experienced endurance veterinarians before the ride, and at designated points through the ride. The veterinary checks are compulsory, and at each check, the following parameters are assessed: heart rate, cardiac recovery index (CRI), heart sounds, hydration, mucous membrane colour, girth, withers and back, leg (and other) injuries, gut sounds, and gait. If the heart rate is above 60 beats
per minute, then the horse is eliminated. If there are concerns regarding the gait, then the horse is trotted again for assessment by a panel of three veterinarians who then vote on the outcome. The same is done for concerns with wither/girth/back pain or metabolic status. There is no conferring between the vets on a panel, they each vote the outcome independently and the votes are counted by a steward. The vote is done to try to be as fair as possible to the competitors.
Junior winner Brooke Marshall and A’Landell Ali (BC)
“At each check, including the final assessment, the horse must be deemed ‘fit to continue’ – ie. to go out and complete another loop. “If the horse is considered lame, metabolically unstable, too sore, or the heart rate exceeds the 60 beats per minute, then the horse is eliminated from the competition. “This is to keep the horses as safe and well as possible. Maintenance of horse welfare is important to everyone involved in the sport here in Australia.” Narelle also commented on the excellent standard of horse care she witnessed over the course of the ride: “It is great to be able to work with a group of competitors who are so committed to their horse’s care and wellbeing. It’s great to see the joy on the faces of competitors when they are successful, but it can be heartbreaking to tell people that they have been eliminated. “It is always amazing to see the horses who present for the Best Conditioned awards the following morning. They always look so bright and full of energy. It’s amazing to think they did 160km the day before!”
HW winner Rod Field with Brookleigh Louise
Second HW Daniel Williams riding Edenfels Pegasus
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UNRESTRICTED TEAMS EVENT
Did you have any issues on track?
THE WINNER
I also spoke with competitor and Brisbanebased stud owner, Jo Hamilton-Branigan of Kholonial Performance Arabians. She rode her homebred horse, Kholonial Beauzolais, alongside her team of horses who were announced the winners of the Unrestricted Teams Event at the completion of the ride. She was bursting with pride and rightly so!
The track was very testing. There was lots of bottomless mud and bog, quite a bit of rough going in the scrub early on. It made it difficult to maintain a consistent pace. I was really glad to be riding a very well legged up, mature mare that had done a couple of tough rides leading up to it. We took it steady in the conditions and built our ride from there.
Taking out top honours this year was Tasmanian rider, Debbie Grull with her beautiful horse Lauralyn Notorious, known as Fred, winning the ride in ten hours 21 minutes and 13 seconds, and then taking out Best Conditioned for good measure! When I spoke with Debbie, she struck me as a woman who had been there and back again in the endurance world, but who continued to look at the sport and her relationship with her horses with the awe and wonderment that she gained on her very first pony ride at four years old. She took the time to tell me a little about her story and winning ride.
The horses and their riders in the Kholonial team were: Kholonial Beauzolais ridden by Jo; Kholonial Abigaail ridden by Sonya Ryan; Kholonial Amigo ridden by Louis Ryan; and Kholonial Bartholomew ridden by Carla Jones.
How did it feel to have four homebred horses compete and buckle? I’m always super excited when any of the Kholonial horses compete in any event and especially so if it’s a Tom Quilty (TQ). Of course to ride in the TQ takes it to another level again. At last count seven Kholonial horses have started in the TQs since 2010 and they have earned 11 buckles between them. Each of these horses is a champion in my eyes, even though not all perform at the pointy end of the field. They are always happy to do the job that is asked. We were elated when we were announced as the winners of the Unrestricted Teams Event at presentations. I couldn’t have been more proud!
You’ve entered the Quilty many times. What keeps you coming back? There is definitely a Quilty family! Diehards from every state, and there is friendly rivalry between states. You compete at whatever level you want to and everyone is supportive. The goal of almost every Australian endurance rider is to earn a Quilty Buckle.
What do you love most about Endurance Riding? In 2016 I loved watching my Kholonial horses compete. It is really exciting if they do well. It’s not all about them finishing at the pointy end. It’s about them being consistent and staying sound; about breeding good horses that love their job. As well as that, I totally enjoy my endurance family and friends. We’ve had some great adventures! These days I also really revel in mentoring riders. It gave me as much joy to see Claudia Gillies and Louis Ryan successfully manage their horses through the TQ this year to earn their first buckles.
Kholonial Beauzolais with Jo Hamilton-Branigan (left) and Carla Jones riding Kholonial Bartholomew. Photo Kevin Coppalotti
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Tell me about your horse, Lauralyn Notorious? At Laurie and Lyn Nicolle’s stud, Lauralyn Arabians, I saw Fred (Lauralyn Notorious) at a few days of age in the paddock, with his very aloof and uncatchable mum, Lauralyn Music. I’d heard a few stories about Music’s antics, and wanted to get a good look at Fred. He came right up to me as I squatted down in the paddock, and sniffed my forehead. I had enough time to take some photos and then both mother and son took off! I am not sure who chose whom first. I became good friends with Laurie and Lyn. Laurie spoke about the Tom Quilty and everyone’s dream of winning the Gold Cup. I announced with some conviction that they would win the Cup and it was only a matter
Winner of the Quilty Debbie Grull riding Lauralyn Notorious (BC)
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LW winner (left) Kelsey Irvine and Chelleason Rembrandt (BC) with Kaylea Maher and Captains Creek Prancer
Second Junior Ella Carter riding Shemali Silver Sherif
of time and that probably that black little foal out there would do it. I asked quite often about Fred, and one day Laurie and Lyn told me that they had spoken about it, and decided to entrust him to me. I was speechless! I mean, I didn’t even have a paddock then, and here I was – owning a horse that was soon to be weaned. My good friend Neil Cameron offered me an agistment arrangement. I was really fortunate. Neil is a very kind, experienced and knowledgeable harness racing trainer who adores his horses. To be in this environment was perfect for Fred and me. Fred began his career, with size 0 shoes on, at nine months of age, behind the jogger for two and a half kilometres at a steady trot. He was with the big horses and he was a pro! At about three years, I took him back to Laurie and Lyn’s to be broken in by Laurie. I began lightly working him as a four and a 1/2 year old for his first 40. Well… objection! He was a complete wheel at his first 40km, never having seen so many horses and vehicles at a ride base. He vetted out on heart rate due to nerves and jumping all over the place in the vet ring. I was so embarrassed! And then he played up 12
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loading, so I couldn’t even leave the ride base gracefully with my tail between my legs. A wonderful lady, Marg Richardson, gave me the best advice ever; she suggested that I forget endurance for a bit and just go trail riding and socialise him a bit more. I knew that Dennis Foley had trail riding. Maybe, if I was lucky, I could tag along there. Well, that was the beginning of another great friendship! To Dennis, who was single at the time, I was a blonde headed vet… very handy. Before long, I was invited over for fabulous dinner parties after training Fred out there on the weekends. Dennis and I became partners, and Fred and I became great mates – that’s how I would describe me and Fred, very great mates.
How did you feel in the lead up to the ride? The lead up to the Quilty has two bits: the long bit of the whole project from over six months out, to the short bit in the week or so before. There is a thing called the Quilty fever. It’s got a solid core of nerves, wrapped in the unknown, with the passage of time unfolding and it sails on a tidal wave that is
Third LW Rohan Stanes with Flying Circus Ring Master
Rod E: s & Ca r h P: 0 ardel olyn S tr 498 lara ww 072 bian ahan s@ w.sh 4 gm ard 98 ail. e
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abi
com
ARABIAN STUD
ans .com
Breeders of Champion Arabian Endurance Horses
Cherox Magician
(S 27517) Purebred
Black Stallion (Arabian Park Egyptian Magnetic x Cherox Anahita) 15 h | 15 years
Photo: Cheri Blackman
MAGICIAN is a son of the Legendary Arabian Park Egyptian Magnetic from a mare line that goes back to Count Manilla and Crystal Fire. Both his sire and dam line go back to the immortal Ansata Ibn Halima. It is our experience that these bloodlines have produced many endurance horses with superior athletic ability and outstanding heart rate recovery. Magician has a kind, gentle nature and is a lovely stallion to handle.
Dunwingeri Sakami Ibn Maakir (S 21758) Purebred
Grey Stallion (Imperial Maakir Imp USA x Dunwingeri Anisa) 15.2 h | 17 years SAKAMI has a great temperament, is friendly and inquisitive. He has excellent feet and legs and is proving to be a very prepotent sire. His progeny are riding horses with excellent heart rates, smooth movement and plenty of athletic ability. The Sakami progeny are proving to be great endurance horses with several of them now residing in the UAE.
Chelleason Elkhaan
(S 26875) Purebred Grey Stallion (Saudi El Perseus Imp Brazil x Europa SPA)
15.1+ h | 4 years
ELKHAAN is a very strong, athletic young stallion with classic Arabian looks and expansive, elevated movement. His sire Saudi El Perseus (Imp Brazil) is the 2016 Australian Champion Stallion.
N GUS EL ADIE E N g n ci u d o tr In PL)
Stallion (IID lla) Purebred Grey Shaqab] x Nute l A al az G y [b (Pegasus Arabian type
All stallions are available at Stud. Service fee: $1,000 plus agistment & vet expenses. Visitors welcome by appointment.
perior h Stallion with su NEGUS is a Polis ty. and athletic abili
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Third MW Leigh Ann Sample riding Brookleigh Bailey
Brian Maher and Ilary Park Sirocco
Jodie Luck riding Lindall Alabaska
Third Junior Connor Krahnen with Ardai
Second MW Talea Hasko Stewart and Blake’s Heaven Bombora
Sue Warren and Razorback Flash
ENDURANCE AUSTRALIA
Elizabeth Moir riding Coolahlee Park Shaman
to be simply surfed and control has no place with this beastly thing. You can be completely overwhelmed by Quilty fever and just lose it. Everybody gets it and we all learn from it, and essentially, you become a soldier or you go home. I sit there with the Quilty fever whistling away like a wind through the trees. It’s there, always there! At the right time it’s a friend to be called upon.
What went in to preparing Fred for the ride? How did you manage him out on track? I think I began preparing Fred for this at Neil Cameron’s on the jogger at nine and a half months. Endurance is a very long journey! Fred and I have had lots of adventures. This is our sixth Quilty together. We have been close a few times and I now look at them as our practice runs. When you compete in a 100-mile, especially in the Tom Quilty, there’s a lot that happens that you don’t get a say in. You just have to prepare as best you can and take what comes with good grace, and deal with every little bump on the way as best you can. I am very glad to have taken the long road and finally ended up here. If I have learned anything, it’s that you can’t just come in and win the Tom Quilty Gold Cup. Being there
is a tiny wee bit like being counted among the high country cattlemen in Australia, you have to earn the right to be there. This year’s Quilty was the toughest 100mile I have ever ridden. After the terrible drought last year, I wished so hard for that rain to come back… and boy, did it ever. It was a heavy, boggy track in places and we were up to our knees and hocks in it. I can clearly recall announcing to Dennis off the first leg, ‘Don’t expect me to win it. It’s the biggest bog in history out there. We just have to do our best to survive’. So we did; we took it one section at a time. I got through on my eight-year-old nephew’s advice: ‘You get what you get and you don’t get upset.’ I think that advice is most often used for ice cream flavours rather than Quilty completions. I was terribly worried about how hard it was. If Fred had indicated in any way that he was not happy, I would have withdrawn. I have done it before in the lead at a state championships when he felt a bit off. That occasion he busted out from a foot bruise two weeks later. And then I remember the team strapping effort off the fourth leg. Fred with his head in the bucket held by Laurie, happily munching away and Dennis and my brotherin-law, Justin, sloshing water all over him – the stethoscope on his chest! And that
momentous walk down the express lane to the vet ring. We vetted, we were in the lead, and had a minute and a half on our next competitor behind us, who is a great rider and a good friend, Brooke Brown-Cordell. After a short break and mounting up for the final 13kms, I just wanted to sit quietly, and not piss him off! I wanted to save energy and emotion, and make our way up when it was time and hopefully go! The seconds counted down and out the gate we went on time... bam! Up the lane way, into the bush... look for the arrow, look for the arrow... pause... got it, off we go again. We maintained a steady canter for the last leg. Finally we were on the home straight and no one was immediately behind us. I couldn’t believe that we had not had another horse go galloping past us. We moved from the bush track into the final lane way, stopped for a sip of water at the trough, then cantered in. We had finally done it! With the final vet inspection to go – of course.
Taking out Best Conditioned is no small feat at a ride like this and is perhaps a higher honour than winning. How did that rate for you? I’m a vet. Best Conditioned award is definitely the higher honour. The other aspect is the people who stand up to ENDURANCE AUSTRALIA
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Daniel Noble and Littlebanks Muscles
Ute Jordan riding Golden Thunder
sponsor these things. 2009 Tonimbuk Quilty sponsored Fred’s 2011 Best Conditioned. The Tonimbuk committee were made up of rare gems in our sport, as all Quilty committees are. Castlebar sponsored this year’s Best Conditioned. Meg Wade and Chris Gates from Castlebar have never missed a Quilty, not once. Whenever I am in danger of getting a bit pooped out and jaded, I look at these people and so many other inspiring people in endurance like Pat Lamprey and realise I have not one acceptable excuse.
What keeps you coming back to the Quilty? The Tom Quilty 100-mile ride is life unfolding sometimes. Moments of celebration have to be savoured. There are times when there are challenges that we encounter that can be overcome; some challenges cannot be overcome, and instead all we have is acceptance and the ability to make the best of a situation, and hope for the future.
Angie Clark riding Castlebar Galahad
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Some Tom Quilty buckle holders did not achieve their shiny buckle on their first attempt. Endurance riders always look after their horse first; and then, after that it takes considerable courage after a vet out or worse, when you don’t even get a start, to then put on your strapping gear and help the rest of the team around. These people show true heroism.
It is great to see the winners and place getters do so well in each division. However at about 5pm when the sun sets, as at every other 100-miler that has ever been run before, the heart of endurance is palpable. The Quilty spirit lingers over 100-mile events, it is the twinkle of the headlamps of all the starters that begin at midnight, and grows to a glow that really shines through when those who are doing their best to look after their horse, cross the line of the final leg in the dark. Here is the real essence of a 100-mile ride. When you travel a 100 miles with a horse, they become your mate. As I looked around all the other riders at this year’s Quilty I know there are many others who feel this way.
THE NEXT QUILTY As the endurance season draws to a close and the horses go out for a much-deserved spell, the Quilty fever withdraws to the periphery for the time being. Riders use this down time to tweak diets and plan their legging-up rides and exercise routines. It won’t be long before the call of the Quilty begins to rise again, demanding an answer to the inherent question: ‘Are you up to the task?’ Veteran Quilty riders and first-timers alike will have the chance to answer that question at next year’s Tom Quilty Gold Cup which is to be held at Wirrina Cove, South Australia.
RESULTS: TOM QUILTY GOLD CUP 7/10/2016 For full results please visit www.aeraspace.com.au Division
Entries
Completed
Withdrawn
VO
% Comp
HW
39
20
5
14
51.28%
MW
99
47
8
44
47.47%
LW
75
40
9
26
53.33%
JN
20
13
7
51.50%
Total
233
120
91
51.50%
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HEAVYWEIGHT Place
Rider
Horse
Time
Total km/hr
1
132 – Rod Field
Brookleigh Louise
11.34.48
13.82
2
144 – Daniel Williams
Edenfels Pegasus
12.35.03
12.71
3
51 – Maurice Gray
Aloha Queen
12.35.48
12.70
4
221 – Paul Lengronne
RA Silver Dancer (BC)
13:59:47
11.43
5
220 – Matthew Gadsby
Maximus RA
14:31:43
11.01
Place
Rider
Horse
Time
Total km/hr
1
7 – Debbie Grull
Lauralyn Notorious (BC)
10:21:13
15.45
2
123 – Talea Hasko Stewart
Blake’s Heaven Bombora
10:30:17
15.23
3
163 – Leigh Ann Sample
Brookleigh Bailey
10:57:45
14.60
4
104 – Brooke Brown-Cordell
Tierview Salama
10:58:55
14.57
5
214 – Jamie Green
Cameo Mazquerade
11:05:55
14.42
Place
Rider
Horse
Time
Total km/hr
1
215 – Kelsey Irvine
Chelleason Rembrandt (BC)
10:47:30
14.83
2
193 – Colleen Krahnen
Kalkadoon Viva
11:52:58
13.46
3
241 – Rohan Stanes
Flying Circus Ring Master
12:40:11
12.63
4
122 – Christophe Dupau
Cooroora Allyjah
12:40:13
12.63
5
42 – Clare Fleming
Picnic Park Desert Dancer
12:56:10
12.37
Place
Rider
Horse
Time
Total km/hr
1
211 – Brooke Marshall
A’Landell Ali (BC)
10:58:31
14.58
2
54 – Ella Carter
Shemali Silver Sherif
12:36:13
12.69
3
191 – Connor Krahnen
Ardai
12:54:24
12.40
4
153 – Alissa Woods
Hirstglen Herbie
13:01:09
12.29
5
178 – Madeline Toft
Beaudacious te
14.19.48
11.17
MIDDLEWEIGHT
LIGHTWEIGHT
JUNIOR
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ENDURANCE AUSTRALIA
TOTARA ENDURANCE HORSES and THE FARLEIGH ARABIAN STUD PRESENT AT STUD: COUNT CRYSDAFA, AT STUD ... COUNT CRYSDAFA is an endurance horse, a show horse and a sire of excellent quality foals. His bloodlines are predominantly Crabbet, Hanstead and Colonial and he represents many generations of the best of Australian endurance breeding. He has a very strong endurance performance pedigree, being by the well-known Chip Chase Sadaqa and from a mare with lines to Count Manilla, Crystal Fire, Star Diamond and the great mare, Scherzade.
Silwan (imp UK) (by Dargee) Cherokee Mecca CHIP CHASE SADAQA
Silala
Cherokee Royal Sarong Silver Spot (by Riffal imp) Rossala (by Rossfennick iiu)
COUNTESS CRYSAN
Count Manilla (imp UK) Count Chatain
Lady Tania (by Casteneer)
Lady Crysan Crystal Fire (imp UK) (by Dargee) Lady Diana (by Prizeman)
The reliability of these bloodlines was shown at the Del Rio Quilty, when Crysdafa and his full sister, Countess Crysda, both completed the ride. Crysdafa was ridden by 19-year-old Elisabeth Cleland, and Crysda was ridden by 18-year-old Suzannah Cleland. This was Crysdafa’s first 160km ride and just his first ride out of Novice status, but he went the whole distance easily, with his ears pricked and exceptional heart rates at each vet check. Crysdafa’s performance and breeding are complemented by an excellent temperament. He is every bit a stallion, but at a ride, he is an endurance horse, who eats and drinks and travels easily with mares beside him in the truck. He will stand at stud in 2017 at “Totara”, Leyburn, South East Queensland. Mares can be bred by natural hand service, or chilled and frozen semen are available. SCID, LFS and CA clear. SERVICE FEE: $1000 (vet fees and agistment by arrangement) Contact Dick Collyer: ph: (07) 4695 5157 (evenings) email: totaraendurance@gmail.com
ALSO AT STUD:
STRAVYNSKY by Shalaz from Lady Thalia who was by Scimitar Shereef (by Silver Moonlight). MAHAZIN IBN CAIRO by Cairo (imp NZ), from Keishir Cappelia who was by Kibir (by Abiram). HYKSOS ARKHON by Cudglebar Caleb, from Cudglebar Riena. All Colonial breeding with multiple lines to Sala and Shazada. A dappled brown horse with a lovely temperament which he passes on to his progeny. TALISMAN RAZBAHRI by Beau Bahri from Talisman Jerszyca (by Razaz from a Babylon mare). Also a 100% Colonial horse. Rare Talisman Stud breeding – 3 x Razaz; 2 x Sala.
WE HAVE YOUNG HORSES FOR SALE WITH THESE ENDURANCE BLOODLINES All our horses are raised in large paddocks. The young ones have been wormed regularly and handled lightly. They are ready for you to start under saddle or we can do this for you, which can include taking your horse to its first Intro or Training Ride.
Swabbing takes place at endurance events throughout Australia
AT E N D U R A N C E E V E N T S Written by Dorte Colja
T
his is meant as a simple outline of how swabbing takes place at endurance events in Australia, more information can be found through the Australian Endurance Riders Association (AERA) website www.aera.asn.au, where the ‘Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Rules’ are available. Through the Equestrian Australia (EA) website www.equestrian.org.au – under medication Control, you can find a list of prohibited drugs, also a list of detection times and a checklist for medication and supplements. Swabbing takes place throughout Australia at both AERA events and FEI (Federation Equestre Internationale) events, to ensure performance-enhancing drugs are not used during competition, and no doping of any kind is taking place. It is important to know herbal products can contain prohibited substances that will show up as positive if your horse is swabbed. Penalties apply if a swab is positive, so always be aware of exactly what your horse is fed or medicated with. Your veterinarian should be able to help guide you if you are uncertain.
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ENDURANCE AUSTRALIA
In the case of AERA, each State Committee is responsible for swabbing and selection of events to be swabbed. For FEI an international program is in place and events to be swabbed are selected by FEI Head Office. Once an event has been targeted for swabbing, an EA accredited Swabbing Steward will be contacted and given the number of swabs to be done at that event. The Swabbing Steward will order kits from Racing Forensic Laboratory Sydney. This laboratory is the only laboratory in Australia, EA/FEI accredited to perform swab sample analysis. For AERA events, the Chief Steward (CS) will select how the horses are to be chosen, for example by randomly selecting rider numbers, choosing first, second and third placegetters, or any other random way suitable. Horses can also be targeted if the CS or Head Veterinarian deems this necessary. Swabbing can take place anytime during an endurance event, but will in most cases only be done once a horse has finished the ride. For FEI events the Ground Jury make the selections – medal winners, randomly selected horses or targeted horses. The Swabbing Steward will notify the person responsible (PR) for a horse selected for swabbing, and a notification notice will be signed, the horse is then taken to a swabbing box or area, along with the PR. The PR must witness the whole swabbing procedure and sign to the effect that he or she is satisfied that all procedures have been in accordance with protocol.
A separate swab kit is used for each swab. This kit is securely sealed and contains the sterile vials for blood and containers for urine and associated paperwork. The seal of this kit will only be broken and opened under observation of the PR. A vet will be in attendance to draw blood samples, a Swabbing Steward can take urine samples only. The veterinarian will take six small vials of blood from the horse. A horse has about 55 litres of blood in its system, the six vials contain about 35ml total, a minuscule of the total blood volume of a horse. The Swabbing Steward will take a urine sample if possible. Bloods will always be taken even if a urine sample has been taken. Finally the samples will be packed back into the swab kit and securely sealed with a tamperproof lock, while being observed by the PR. The swabbing procedure should take less than an hour, sometimes a lot less, depending on the wait for a urine sample. Once all swabbing has been finalised, the kits will be couriered to the laboratory, where they will be analysed. Only two vials are used for the initial analysis; if a result is disputed there are four other vials available for re-analysing. Cleared results will be available on the EA website after two to three weeks, positive results will be forwarded to AERA/FEI, and the person responsible for the horse with a positive test will be contacted through the appropriate sports body, AERA or FEI, for penalty to be applied.
Choose Hoof Protection That Mimics Equine Biochemics & WIN! Talk to Easycare Down Under in Australia for more info
Don’t think Hoof Boots will give you the advantage? That’s not what your competitors are thinking!
RIDING BOOTS AND EASYSHOES TO SUIT ALL DISCIPLINES Therapy Boots Injury Protection Boots Boot Accessories Tiny Boots for Minis and Carriage Horses Laminitis Help (slow feeders grazing muzzles soaker and ice boots)
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Easycare Down Under online in Australia for all your endurance needs www.easycaredownunder.com.au
P: 02 4 457 3022
Vary the terrain during your training program. Photo Sharon Meyers
Training Y
ou ask any pony clubber what is their future goal for themselves and their horse and mostly they will say, “I want to ride in the Olympics...” Eventing/ Dressage/Showjumping. I’ve never heard one say, “I want to ride in the Tom Quilty.” Why is this? Endurance Riding as an equestrian sport has been in existence in Australia for over half a century. The Tom Quilty Gold Cup, our National Championship, celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2015, meaning it has been around as long as the legendary Gawler 3 Day Event – now Adelaide Horse Trials 4 Star (4*). Despite its seemingly low profile in the equestrian landscape, Endurance Riding has come a long way since those early days and today is reputed to be one of the fastest growing equine sports. It has found a niche in many countries, some which you wouldn’t expect there to be horses, let alone high level long distance horse racing. For example Malaysia, a country that staged the
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ENDURANCE AUSTRALIA
AN ENDURANCE HORSE Written by Jillian Bourton* World Endurance Championships in 2008 and who would have thought Endurance Riding would take off in such a spectacular way in the deserts of the Middle East? A 4* World Championship of 160kms is held every two years and is contested by individuals and teams from anything up to 40 nations. This competition alternates with the World Youth Championship for young riders which also attracts competitors from many countries. Equine research in some parts of the globe has surged ahead due to the number of endurance events and horses available for studies. Equine veterinarians enjoy many exchanges to endurance events in many parts of the world. For example Australian veterinarians have been involved in the famous Tevis Cup ride in California USA as well as events elsewhere and in turn we have visiting veterinarians from America, Malaysia and New Zealand officiating at the Tom Quilty each year.
Many complementary industries have emerged that cater for the sport – specialised feeds and supplements; saddlery/tack; alternative therapies; hoof boot technology has come ahead in leaps and bounds due to their growing use in many forms of long distance riding. A resurgence of Arabian studs breeding for performance, especially in Australia, which has one of the best gene pools of original working / saddle Arabian horses in the world. Marketing of specially bred and trained horses for overseas markets. Endurance horses make up approximately 25% of all Australian equine exports every year. In Australia Endurance is steadily growing and developing into an important equestrian field, in fact, Australia is regarded as a leader in vetting standards and horse welfare at such events. Australian teams and individuals have won several medals at World Championships and World Equestrian Games over the years. And yet it is still little understood or appreciated by many of the
disciplines that tend to be favoured by pony club and the general horse community. Due to the perception of a secret long distance riding society, Endurance has only recently been included in organisations like Equestrian Australia, people often find it hard to get any information about how to get started other than just turning up at a ride, which is what a friend and I did 34 years ago! And boy what a rollercoaster ride it has been and how much I have learned along the way! This article will cover aspects of training for Endurance Riding, including getting started. I hope to illustrate what an involved and exciting sport it is and how it demands the very best skills and horsemanship, on a par with any of the more familiar disciplines. The fact you have purchased this magazine suggests you want to find out more about, and maybe, want to do endurance, so my aim is to help you get involved in what will be a rewarding and forever learning journey with your equine friend.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS WHY TRAIN? DON’T YOU JUST GET ON AND RIDE?
It’s well accepted in the endurance community that it takes many years to train an endurance horse. Like any other discipline a seasoned competition mount requires time and effort and patience. If you consider for a moment that horses are certainly capable of travelling long distances and before the invention of the internal combustion engine, they were the prime mode of transport in many parts of
the world. Wars were fought and empires won with the aid of the horse. Trade and distribution of goods were made easier by horse. The domestication of these animals made everyday life much easier and I believe was one of the biggest technological leaps in the history of mankind. SO WHY CAN’T YOU JUST GET ON AND RIDE 80KMS?
Unfortunately these days most horses are kept for pleasure or pets and so aren’t required to sustain the workload of their forebears, hence their overall fitness and soundness – for everyday toil – isn’t as important as it once was. This means any competition or sport one wants to indulge in with their horse requires careful schooling, training and conditioning.
SO I’M A NEWBIE, WHERE DO I START?
If you already have a horse and you ride fairly regularly, you could take him to one or two short rides – most endurance events offer ten and 20 kilometre intro rides, where as a novice, you are required to ride within time limits and face the same vetting as the seasoned horses and riders. You’ll soon know if your horse and you are capable. If, however, your horse falls into any of the following: Is grossly overweight. Is significantly undernourished. Is agisted in a small paddock or yard without regular exercise. Is only exercised on an arena. Is a senior or semi-retired.
Due to the distances involved, the variety of terrain traversed and the changing weather conditions, an endurance horse has to have a good level of the above three elements in order to be “fit to continue” – not just in each ride, but year after year of competitions.
Then you should embark on a few weeks preparation before you attempt one of these events.
As a rider you must pay attention to your own fitness and riding ability. It is far easier for a horse to carry a good, well balanced and energetic rider over distance than the proverbial “sack of potatoes”. A good endurance rider listens and develops a special sensitivity to his horse and after hours in the saddle you should be able to “feel” how he is going. You should be able to detect any discrepancies in his gait or demeanour. This in endurance terms is known as a “partnership” which ultimately involves you looking out for each other.
Start slowly, walking, if the horse is very fat and / or unfit and gradually build up to some reasonable distance at the trot.
Train your horse to trot freely in-hand for vetting. Photo Sue Crockett
This preparation should include: Two to three rides a week of at least an hour’s duration.
Try and include floating to a forest or reserve once a week for some different terrain and hill work or even beach work. It’s a good idea to occasionally go out in a group. Make sure your horse is adequately shod, booted or trimmed. Pay some attention to his feed, if he is a bit on the lean side you may need to introduce some good energy-providing pellets and always provide plenty of hay if paddock feed is in short supply. Purchase a stethoscope so you can become familiar with his heart rate (HR) a) before working him, b) straight after your ride and c) a half hour after you have unsaddled him – strapping time. If your faithful friend copes with this over a few weeks and is feeling good, then it’s time to bite the bullet and give an Intro a go. If you are starting totally from scratch, for example you haven’t got a horse yet and you are really serious about giving endurance a go, my advice is to find yourself a half decent Arabian or Derivative Arabian as there is no doubt this breed is the most suitable for endurance. IS MY HORSE SUITABLE FOR ENDURANCE?
It has long been the view any sound and regularly ridden horse can do endurance. This is true to a degree but often only applies to training and shorter rides. With careful training and management of your horse and above all knowing him or her, it is surprising how far you may go. ENDURANCE AUSTRALIA
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Ensure your saddle, tack and saddle cloth are clean and well fitting. Photo Sue Crockett
In recent years most of my horses have been homebreds and so have been started from scratch and although this process takes many years, there is nothing more satisfying than completing ride after ride on a horse you first met as a foal. It means you know everything about the horse and you already have a bond even before you start riding. However, if you just want to get started in the sport, it isn’t practical to breed your own foal but there’s a good chance you can buy something suitable from one of the many Arabian studs in Australia breeding horses for endurance. We are very lucky to be able to enjoy the legacy of many committed breeders, who had the foresight decades ago to import good working bloodlines that have underpinned our modern Australian endurance horse. If you go to any affiliated endurance ride, in just about any country, the majority of horses competing are Arabians and crosses. I’m sure you’ll see more of this breed at these events than at any other equestrian activity. It’s horses for courses really and though you may start out with the faithful mount you’ve been riding for years, if and when you get serious or hooked, you will definitely be considering a more suitable partner. 24
ENDURANCE AUSTRALIA
HOW OFTEN AND HOW FAR AND FAST SHOULD I RIDE?
I’ve always worked on the principle the distance you train over is less important than time spent in the saddle, especially when starting out. Other factors to consider are intensity of workout and type of terrain you use for training. For example legging up your new horse is initially done at the walk and if hills or sand is involved all the better. I once started an eight-year-old mare, Veloce Nel, she was broken-in over Christmas and I got to have my first ride on her New Year’s Day. All summer I hill walked her every second day with an occasional trot and canter. Sometimes I’d be out on her for two or three hours. By late March she completed her first 80km ride, slowly but soundly. In her next ride a month later she completed one and a half hours quicker with even better recoveries. By October, after qualifying with no vet outs and placing in a few rides, she won her first 160km State Championship ride. If you’re planning to ride in a few rides or even every ride in your area over the season, it is very important you start your horse carefully and slowly, paying attention to the legging up process and time in the saddle and keeping the following in mind: You needn’t worry about your horse being super fit for the first competition,
especially if only doing a short ride, the main consideration is that he has been ridden regularly and is in good body condition – not too fat or too thin. Because you will be training late summer, be mindful our sun baked country can be very hard under foot, so keep fast work to a minimum – this includes kilometres of fast or extended trotting on roads or road verges. If your horse has a big, fast or extended trot don’t just let him run along at a great pace because you think “Wow this gait covers the ground, this must be how it’s done!” Far better to ride at a moderate and relaxed pace than risk concussive or over extension injuries as these can take a long time to repair. Save this speed for when you may need it, when you are perhaps competitive some time in the future. Try and ride every second day for at least an hour, especially if your horse is agisted or lives in a yard. The rest day in between is vital for recovery and developing fitness. Don’t overwork your horse at this stage – there is absolutely no point in running his legs off at the start of the season. During training you should make use of a stethoscope and / or heart rate monitor so you can get to know your horse’s
16.3hh Brown Anglo Stallion
Multi champion incl. AUSTRALIAN CHAMPION twice, Champion Open Ridden Hack. Oldest progeny only 3yr olds but only have yearlings & weanlings left. He is producing beautiful, sound stock with fabulous temperaments. First to be shown was Champion Anglo Exhibit at AA Show.
15.2hh Bay Purebred Stallion
Shown for two Supremes. Now in racing, had three starts and in the prize money twice. A magnif icent stallion with the most fabulous temperament, his progeny to date have the same.
Aloha Stars N Stripes (by Aloha Nagano) was Champion of Champions Arabian Stockhorse at the 2017 East Coast show under Jess Kent
Aloha
Merri-Merrigal Park, ±±∑µ Burrandana Rd, Mangoplah, NSW ≤6∂≤ (via Wagga Wagga)
James and Mary Triggs
ph: ∞≤ 6∫≤8 ∂88∂ m: ∞µ≤∏ ≤±≤ ∞∞∫ E: alohastud1@bigpond.com
50 YEARS OF BREEDING ARABIANS
15.3hh Chestnut Purebred Stallion The first of his progeny, for us, arrived last season and very exciting, beautiful foals. Out of four foals, two are black. With his size, pedigree and temperament he is ideal for endurance mares.
Many Arabian horse studs specifically breed horses for endurance. Photo Sharon Meyers
heart rate. Speed of heart rate recovery is the key to understanding your horse’s fitness. You should also practise taking his anal temperature. Practise your trot ups as often as you can, especially when you are training away from home, quite often horses are very compliant at home and then you take them to an event and they pretend they’ve forgotten everything. Drive in your car over some loops suitable for training and take note of distance, this will help you to work out your approximate speed over a set distance. All Endurance Rides have distance markers. As you get further into your training program you will see improvement in times and recoveries over the set distances.
26
when riding in some particularly difficult terrain. At the first sign of any problems – lameness, back soreness, swellings or stiffness, lack of appetite, back off! Your horse may need some veterinary or farrier attention or some physio or just more rest. Patience is a key to successful endurance. If you have any falls, prangs or incidents involving your horse a few days prior to a competition, think very seriously about attending even if he seems fine. Little problems can become major problems during the rigours of an endurance ride.
Keep a training log including training distance, duration, speeds or as I note walk/trot/canter, heart rate recovery and how long it took to go below 55, how your horse felt etc. Anything unusual is certainly worth noting as it may be a handy reference down the track.
Make sure you have a good farrier and have your horse shod regularly, he will wear his shoes quicker in this sport but don’t skimp and expect him to do a long training run with long toes or loose shoes. I’ve seen horses front up for pre ride vetting with shoes that are way overdue for replacement, now that’s asking for trouble!
If you don’t already – talk to your horse. Train him to be responsive to various words and tones. Horses are not as intelligent as dogs but they will understand consistent verbal prompts or commands which can be invaluable
If you ride your horse unshod or booted all the same principles apply regarding starting slowly and taking it easy on hard ground. A summer of long slow work is probably advisable to condition the hooves before the season starts.
ENDURANCE AUSTRALIA
HOW DO I KNOW WHEN MY HORSE IS READY FOR A COMPETITION?
As I have already stated, a sound horse in good condition and regular work should have no trouble completing an intro ride and quite possibly a 40km training ride in the maximum time limit allowed. If you have been monitoring your horse’s heart rate recovery after every exercise session you should have some idea of his level of fitness, remembering the HR parameter at the Australian Endurance Riders Association Inc (AERA) rides is 55 beats per minute (bpm) or less half an hour after completion. If your horse is close to this or consistently above during training then he’s obviously not ready to go to an event or: You are not paying enough attention to strapping or cool down after your training sessions. You are pushing him too hard. There is some underlying discomfort or pain, or he just may not be suitable for the sport. In hot weather you should always hose your horse down after a work out or at the very least sponge him down and make sure you stand him in the shade to gain maximum effect. The hot horse’s heart rate will always be high. Conversely in very cold, wet and windy weather a horse won’t require so much water but will need to be rugged to keep the chill off.
Train your horse to travel through water. Photo Sue Crockett
Teach your horse to stand quietly while having his rectal temperature taken. Photo Sue Crockett
Let your horse drink at every opportunity. Photo Sue Crockett
Good manners are important when travelling with others. Photo Sue Crockett
Horses need to have their heart rate monitored. Photo Sue Crockett
It’s never too early to start Endurance Riding! Photo Sue Crockett
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Endurance horses make up about 25% of all Australian equine exports every year. Photo Sue Crockett
It is definitely a good idea to ride at least a 10km training ride at home, practising your strapping and trot ups before you attempt your first competition – this is why having some pre-measured training loops is so important. If it is a case of pain or discomfort your horse will probably try to let you know. However there are many key areas of your management that should keep these discomforts to a minimum. Making sure the saddle fits well and there are no pressure points – really, all your tack should be clean and fit well including a good quality saddle cloth (pad) that is always kept clean. You’ll find in this sport you will need several saddle pads and there are some good quality endurance specific products available. Hoof care – I can’t emphasise enough how important good and regular hoof care is. General health including regular worming and dental check ups, grooming and rugging. Your riding – be an active rider by being light in the saddle and as least hinderance to your horse as possible. Make sure your stirrups are even and you are sitting balanced in the saddle. It’s not rocket science, this is all stuff you should be paying attention to during 28
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training, just like any other equestrian discipline. You wouldn’t expect a horse to do a round of A grade show jumping with shoes seven weeks old and you wouldn’t expect a race horse to run a 1600m race with one week’s training and a full winter coat! HOW FAST SHOULD I RIDE IN MY FIRST COMPETITION?
In all AERA Endurance Rides there are minimum time limits for Novice horses and riders. All rides also have a maximum time limit to complete the course for all riders. My rule of thumb with a young or new horse in their first competition is to try and maintain an average speed of 10kph. So your 20km would take two hours, which is about the usual minimum time, and a 40km will take four hours etc. The minimum time allowed for a 40km training ride is usually at least three hours and the maximum around five hours. Many riders fall into the trap of thinking they have to complete as close to minimum time as possible. That’s all well and good but even a seasoned rider will concede it is not always possible to complete a 40km leg in the minimum time allowed, as, apart from the horse’s fitness and preparation, or lack thereof, there are many outside influences that may come into play like: Weather conditions. Difficult terrain.
Horse’s anxiety / excitement. Rider’s lack of fitness. Accidents or getting lost. Allowing the horse to run too fast for the first part of the course, then run out of petrol which is why a steady consistent pace is so important. So my advice is to forget minimum times and focus on completing before the maximum time and if you’ve done your training and preparation you will finish with a healthy and happy horse that is deemed “fit to continue”. Trust me, he will improve after every competition. In recent years competing with my homebred horses I have generally found they can easily complete a 40km loop in less than four hours. I put this down to a consistent training approach and the fact my horses are purpose bred and reared for the sport. They grow and develop very free range on 100 acres of sandy veldt and come into their saddle career as a known factor with no problems from previous owners. Just another plus to getting a horse that is bred for the sport in the first place. Above all else, you have to listen to your horse, you have to feel if he is covering the distance within his ability and you have to ride your own ride. Remember these first few shorter competitions are important to
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The SOURCE of Purebred Arabian horses for performance and show. Endurance horses occasionally for sale, as well as youngstock. Located approximately one hour from Brisbane airports. Visitors welcome by appointment! Aust/NZ distributor of Arabian horse gifts & signage from Europe. Photo: D. Keelan
MELCOT ARABIANS Show • Endurance • Pleasure Lee Edwards & John Walker
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Zuhra Zaleksii & Tami Parnell
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Endurance Riding caters for all equestrians. Photo Sue Crockett
your training program and that is how they should be viewed. Some people have success instantly – their horses completing every ride – and other people seem to have to overcome some failures before they get anywhere. You can be blessed with the perfect horse from day one or you have to work at it to get the best out of your pony, that’s why creating a bond is so important. None of us enjoy vetting out, especially after riding the whole 80kms or worse still, 160kms! But there is always something to learn from these failures and this knowledge can only make you a better equestrian. These glitches may also inform you that you need to modify your training program. HOW MUCH REST TIME SHOULD MY HORSE HAVE BETWEEN COMPETITIONS?
Time off or paddock rest after endurance events is as much a part of training as riding every second day and is crucial to your horse’s growing fitness, conditioning and cell repair, not to mention his mental well being. If he has lost too much condition after a competition he should be given the rest and feed to regain that condition and 30
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build up his muscle structure. An endurance horse doesn’t need to look like a sprint horse, he needs body reserve to sustain him over the long distances and time under saddle, so his feed program should reflect that. There are many endurance specific feeds on the market these days. After this rest period, I give my horses up to a week off after an 80km and two weeks plus after a 160km, carry on training as normal. If, however, the horse has some issues like: Footsore, any strained muscles or tendons, girth galls, sore back or an injury, he may need treatment and probably more time off. If your horse is agisted in a stable and yard situation and you haven’t the luxury of turn out, then daily hand walking after a ride is advisable. It can also help the rider loosen up and get over any sore bits and is good for fitness – remember you’re a team. A good horse physio or massage therapist is invaluable for after ride muscle/soft tissue problems but obviously if the horse has a bad injury e.g. grazes, bruising or nasty cuts
from falls or collisions or is very lame then veterinary attention is advisable. If you are planning a full season of competition with your horse and you are competing every two or three weeks, rest periods after each endurance ride are crucial to building and maintaining fitness and stamina. At this stage you will probably get away with maintenance training and you won’t necessarily have to do long training distances unless there is a specific event you are aiming for. HOW DO I TRAIN FOR MY FIRST 160KM?
Many years ago, before Novice horse rules and logbooks, I prepared two horses for a state championship from scratch. One was trained and competed over a period of 15 weeks and the other for 12 weeks. Both completed the 160km, which was a pre-ride for the 1992 Quilty, slowly but still finished in the top five. Another horse of mine, Syeda Simba, that came back into work after an injury, and had to requalify, went on to complete the 2004 Quilty after only a month’s preparation when he was loaned to a friend’s daughter at the last minute. My instructions to the young rider were – just
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You must pay attention to your own fitness too. Photo Sue Crockett
Jil Bourton. Photo Sharon Meyers
treat it like a very long trail ride – which she did and earned herself a buckle. That same horse went on to complete many 160km rides and only ever had one vet out in his Australian endurance career. My point is you don’t have to train and compete a horse for years and years before attempting a 160km event. If you have paid attention to your training and legging up of the horse, ridden successfully in several 80km, or longer, events then there is no reason why you can’t step up to that championship distance. You must of course be a qualified rider and your horse must be a qualified (yellow book) endurance horse and must be at least six years old. My only advice for training for your first 160km is to: Maintain your usual training program and if you don’t have any regular competitions try and spend some extra long time in the saddle when possible, for example long trail rides. Source and train over similar terrain to the coming event e.g. sandy, undulating steep or rocky etc.
Practise your strapping technique and getting your horse’s heart rate below 60bpm as quickly as possible. Most 160km rides use Gate into Hold Vetting (VGIH) so quick recoveries are an advantage as the sooner you pass vetting and get your horse back to camp, the sooner he can rest and have a feed which is very important over a ride of this length. Pay attention to your horse’s body condition. He should look hard and fit with good muscle definition but he should also carry some weight or reserve as he will burn it up over that distance. Remember, riding a 160km is quite different to an 80km event and requires a higher degree of management and knowing your horse. When it comes to the ride, the main thing is to plan your ride, be organised and not get carried away in the moment – like trying to keep up with a more experienced, fitter, faster horse. Don’t be tempted to run hard over the first couple of legs because they seem easy, once you get past 80kms or so you are in unknown territory, you don’t actually know how your horse and you will cope.
Here again, the 10kph approach is an achievable speed for a first time horse and who cares if you come last? To “Complete is to Win” and believe me, there is nothing sweeter than coming over that finish line after 160 gruelling kilometres and hours in the saddle on a horse that you can feel still has something to give. We are very lucky in the sport of Endurance Riding to have several layers of competition – Intro and Training rides; Novice horse and rider 80km rides; Qualified horse and rider competitions of 80kms plus and 160km Championship events. All states run an annual championship and of course the Holy Grail of Endurance Riding – the Tom Quilty Gold Cup or Australian Championship – held every year in a different state. There’s a plethora of multi-day and marathon rides and also FEI “star” events that run under international rules and prepare riders and sometimes horses for overseas competition. Endurance Riding really does cater for all levels of equestrians and like any other sport, success is underpinned by dedication and training, no matter what level you aspire to.
*Jil Bourton, author of Training An Endurance Horse, has been a member of the South Australian Endurance Riders Association (S.A.E.R.A) for over 30 years after riding in her first training ride in 1983 on her home bred Arabian Stockhorse mare Niobe. Having been riding since ten years of age in a variety of disciplines, most of which involved riding anything from two miles to 25 miles to attend, Endurance Riding seemed a logical sport to pursue. During these years she has bred and trained many successful endurance horses, including 20 to 160km championship level. Jil has completed over 20,000 kilometres of AERA competitions, including over 30 160km rides as well as successful competitions in South Africa, Namibia, New Zealand and France. Jil and husband Pip Archer run Veloce Endurance Stables and Archer Equine from their property at Murray Bridge, South Australia.
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OPEN & YOUTH DIVISIONS INCLUDING THE 2* TRANS TASMAN CHALLENGE EACH LEG WILL TRAVEL ALONG VALLEYS AND RIDGES BESIDE THE MOUNTAIN RANGE AND ARE CLASSIFIED AS EASY TO MEDIUM DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY. All enquiries – Matthew Sample email: m.sample@sampleandpartners.com.au Camp Boss – Jim Green email jimg@herronbooks.com or 0419 655 444
Photo: Sue Crockett
A gooseneck with accommodation for people and horses. Photo Sharon Meyers
Travelling E
ndurance is a sport that often requires riders to travel long distances to compete and, for some people, to train in terrain not available close to home. There are many considerations when choosing a suitable vehicle for this purpose, and equipping it to make life easier at rides. Accessories range from elaborate paint jobs to hot and cold water for washing down horses, though the most common additions for endurance are portable yards (fold-out or free-standing) and shade awnings.
VEHICLES There are two main vehicle types available for transporting horses, being single units (trucks) and towed trailers (floats). There are also large semi-trailers for large quantities of horses. Within these types there are many configurations, all with advantages and disadvantages. The final decision on which is most appropriate comes down to the number of horses to be transported, driveability, need for accommodation and budget. Larger trucks require the driver to have a truck licence. 34
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WITH HORSES Written by Paula Boer Within floats there are two types: those towed on a standard bumper-pull hitch, or those towed via a trailer-ball coupling (goosenecks). In the latter the float extends over the rear of the vehicle which provides more interior space in the float but reduces the carrying capacity of the towing vehicle. Bumper-pull hitch floats may have either hydraulic or electric brakes. Vehicles come with either a rear and/ or a side ramp. Those with both rear and side doors are good for being able to walk the horse forwards both on and off without turning around. Ramps must be wide enough with sufficient slope for easy manoeuvring. Some vehicles have side rails when the ramp is down to prevent animals from running out. Open fronted/sided vehicles such as cattle trucks/trailers are the least expensive but are not recommended for long distances or when there is a chance of wind chill. These vehicles also lack padding and barriers for safety though are handy for short trips, such as for training.
Floats come as either straight load (where the horses face the driver) or angle load (herringbone) where the horses face the near side of the road. In some cases the horses face backwards. Some straight load floats have extended width to enable the horse to spread their legs wider than their bodies to help with stability. There is argument about whether horses travel better facing sideways (as in most trucks) or straight, and individual horses may prefer one over the other. Another option on vehicle configuration is whether there is accommodation for people. Choices range from simple cooking facilities right up to luxury caravan-style fittings.
RESTRAINTS For most purposes, horses should be restrained when on the back of a vehicle. For safety reasons, all ropes should be tied with quick release slip knots. Barriers such as stallion dividers (head height rails between horses), chest and tail rails, and dividers between horses’ bodies, must be installed at the correct
height to protect the animals without injury. The size of each stall must be adequate for the horse with attention to length, height and width. Ensure there is padding on partitions to prevent rubbing of the neck, chest, barrel and buttocks. There should be no sharp or protruding objects in the horse vicinity. Adequate airflow is essential when transporting horses, without causing draughts. Either vents or a powered airflow system can be used with enclosed vehicles. On floats with rear top doors, these can also be left open if the weather and road conditions permit (note that dirt roads generate a lot of dust that can be drawn into the float causing breathing difficulties). Some horses prefer to travel with the top doors open so they can see outside, others prefer to be closed in to reduce noise and prevent the appearance of other vehicles, such as large trucks, close behind. Some people choose to use rugs and leg bandages on horses when travelling but individual horses require different approaches – be aware that overheating is easy in a confined space. Tail bandages/guards can be useful to prevent rubbing. Non-slip flooring is essential which can be achieved with rubber mats, sawdust or straw.
Place chocks behind wheels on slopes and always apply the handbrake when the float is not attached to the towing vehicle.
For long journeys, stop every two to three hours and unload horses to enable them to drink, stretch their legs and have a pee.
Keep the floor clean and dry to prevent slipping.
When stopped, clean out the truck to prevent horses slipping in muck.
Don’t climb in with a fallen horse – remove any other animals and barriers to enable the horse to stand on its own if at all possible.
On multiple day journeys there are a variety of options for horses from camping at showgrounds and other public yards to motels that have yards or stables for horses. Contact the local council as they are a good source of information on where it is permissible to overnight, such as campgrounds along rivers.
Don’t float a horse directly after exercise if avoidable as travelling is tiring. Drive to conditions, remembering that horses can’t see when to brace eg. for stopping or turning. Practise loading at home. Allow plenty of time for both loading and the journey, and be calm at all times.
TRAVELLING TIPS Ensure vehicles conform to legal requirements: regulations such as weight limits vary between states and territories. Check that brake and indicator lights work before every journey especially if the float has been uncoupled.
Always check the float hitch and safety chain, and ensure the handbrake is released before driving.
Space can be saved by having a float fitted with the same wheels as the towing vehicle. Any spares, jacks and other equipment such as wheel braces must also be suitable for the float. Consider the sequence of horses when loading more than one – some will stand quieter than others, or prefer to load when another horse is already on-board. Weight distribution over the axles may also be an issue. On a straight-load float load the heaviest (or only) horse on the driver’s side.
Don’t tie a horse to a float that is not attached to a vehicle – horses can easily pull a float over.
Horses should not be given hard feed before travel. During travel hay can be offered depending on the horse.
SAFETY TIPS When loading – close the rump rail before tying up each horse. Fasten the rump rails securely behind each horse before raising the ramp. When unloading – undo any ties before lowering the ramp.
On arrival, walk horses around to get their circulation going and become accustomed to the new environment. When arriving at an endurance ride, contact the steward for where to park. Often areas are put aside for large rigs. Be aware of boggy ground and the turning space required for the size of vehicle.
TRAVELLING TO TASMANIA There are a number of Federal and State laws and regulations pertaining to the transportation of horses across Bass Strait. These laws and regulations are administered by the operators of Spirit of Tasmania and Biosecurity Tasmania. From check-in, boarding and disembarking, the ferry takes approximately 14 hours, which includes the sailing time of 10.5 hours. Horse floats and horse trucks are to be appropriately designed to allow for adequate ventilation whilst the horse float or truck remains in an enclosed deck in a stationary position for the duration of the sea journey. During the sailing, it is not possible to access the vehicle decks. Horses can be given a small amount of hay and must have easy access to water, which ferry staff will check. These staff will also contact nominated people on-board in the event of an emergency.
A three-horse angle-loading float. Photo Sharon Meyers
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Two different float set-ups (left and right) and four-wheel-drive vehicles suitable for towing. Photo Sharon Meyers
Ensure vehicles conform to legal requirements: regulations such as weight limits vary between states and territories.
The Spirit of Tasmania ferry carries horse transports to and from Tasmania.
For events such as the Tom Quilty, special fares are sometimes available. Quarantine restrictions mean that only enough hay for the journey is permitted. No other feed such as grains, horse feed pellets that contain wheat, barley, oats, maize seeds or other grains, no apples, carrots or other foodstuffs are allowed. No straw is allowed for bedding but sawdust must be adequate to contain urine from flowing onto the deck. Riding gear and floats must be clean and are subject to inspection by Biosecurity Tasmania on arrival in Tasmania. For more information visit www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au.
TICK CONTROL Cattle ticks, the most serious external parasite of cattle in Australia, can attach to horses and be spread via horse movements. The risk is high with horses moving south from coastal Queensland where cattle ticks are endemic. For this reason, there are varying movement requirements for horses in north-east NSW and Queensland. 36
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THE THREE AREAS THAT HAVE SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE ARE:
Tick-Infested Queensland Tick-Free Queensland Tick- Free NSW Stock travelling between these areas may require inspection, treatment and/or a permit. As a minimum: Hang up horse rugs and saddles when visiting tick-infested Queensland, and leave hay on the truck. Cattle ticks have been found on horses after treatment due to reinfestation from rugs, tack and hay. Stop at a Crossing Office when moving across the Queensland or NSW tick-line with horses. The law requires horses to be checked or treated at a treatment centre to prevent cattle tick outbreaks in tick-free areas. Give 24 hours’ notice and obtain an appointment time before arriving at a treatment centre to prevent delays as treatment facilities are staffed to meet confirmed appointments only.
Check horses thoroughly for ticks in the six weeks following a trip to a cattle tick-infected area of Queensland. The cattle ticks may be resistant to treatments at the border, or horses may be reinfested from a rug or other tack. Report any ticks found to DPI or DAF and have them identified. Contain horses if any have ticks until the ticks have been identified. Moving or riding horses infested with cattle ticks extends the area of land affected and the risk to the livestock industries.
For more information contact: NSW Department of Primary Industries’ Cattle Tick Program (DPI) www.dpi.nsw.gov.au QLD Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF) www.daf.qld.gov.au
Kholonial Performance Arabians IT’S ALL ABOUT THE JOURNEY: ENJOY THE RIDE!
Kev Coppalotti
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE RYAN FAMILY Louis Ryan and Kholonial Amigo
Louis had a dream. To earn a Tom Quilty Buckle in the year he turned thirteen. Kholonial Abigaail (above left with Sonya Ryan) qualified him at Bowen, Nth Qld. Kholonial Amigo buckled for him at lexton, Vic – opposite ends of the country. 1st QERA Junior Distance Horse for 2016 with 100% completion for the year.
At Lexton Tom Quilty – Team Kholonial – Winners Unrestricted Teams ;) Purpose bred endurance horses | Enquiries Welcome | Jo Hamilton-Branigan email: fire_away@bigpond.com | Mobile: 0427 012 103
Trish Smith training in Tasmania with Beaucheval Akhiran (aka Rahn)
Talking About
TRAINING Compiled by Jillian Bourton
Glenmore Arabian and Endurance Stud situated at Taihape, North Island, New Zealand, owned by Murray and Andrea Smith and their two daughters Georgia and Brigitte. The property consists of 579 hectares of medium to steep hill country where they also run sheep and cattle. The Smith family have been breeding Arabians and Derivative Arabians for over 20 years, expanding from other equestrian backgrounds such as eventing and show jumping into Endurance Riding about 14 years ago. They breed their endurance horses specifically for their own competition and occasionally buy one to fill in a gap in their breeding program or a filly with bloodlines they wish to incorporate once she is retired from competition. They usually have a team of seven to eight endurance horses in training, including novice horses and each family member has had significant accomplishments in the sport in both New Zealand and internationally. Murray has won several North Island 160km*** titles and ridden in the Trans Tasman event against Australia. Andrea – North Island and National 160km*** Champion twice; WEC 2008; WEG 2014 and member of New Zealand Team to South Africa 2014. Georgia – Trans Tasman 2010; Junior WEC 2011 Abu Dhabi; team member in South Africa; 2014 WEG; North Island and National Youth and Senior titles; National 160km*** Champion 2016. 38
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Brigitte – New Zealand team member in two Southern Cross Challenges against Australia; twice National Youth 120km** Champion; 160km*** Junior/Youth Champion 2016. Ber-Kaz Endurance situated at Klerksdorp, North West, Republic of South Africa (RSA). Ber-Kaz is also a family run endurance stable consisting of husband and wife Jandré and Bernadette Kasselman and four children. Jandré and son and daughter, Jean Jacques and Monique, have been competing in Endurance Riding in the RSA and Namibia for 11 years. They have been breeding their own Arabians for several years, with the oldest foals only starting endurance fairly recently. Most of their successful competitions have been with horses they have bought and trained. They average 20 horses in training and their endurance successes include: Division winner SA National Championships – Fauresmith 200km; Top Ten overall on numerous occasions at Fauresmith 200km; Top Three Heavyweight division Fauresmith 200km; Top three on four occasions – African Endurance Championships (Walvis Bay, Namibia) 120km**; Top Three SAIC (South African 120km Championships) on three occasions; winner SAIC & Best Conditioned Award over all divisions. Meg Wade – Castlebar Endurance situated at Holbrook NSW, Australia. Castlebar was established in the mid-1970s by Meg and her sisters, breeding some Welsh Mountain Ponies, Australian Stock Horses and Arabians. Meg and Chris Gates were married in 1989, the focus then shifted to breeding endurance horses. Meg rode in
her first 40km event in 1987, her first 80km in January the following year and her first 160km later the same year. Since then she has achieved over 30,000kms of successful endurance competition as well as 5,000kms FEI. Castlebar has been a prolific breeder of international quality endurance Arabians and Derivatives as well as occasionally buying stock from other successful studs. The World Champion Kurrajong Concord is a prime example of the Castlebar training and competition program. Meg’s prior equestrian activities include pony club, some Arabian halter classes, Australian Stock Horse ridden classes and campdrafting. She showed a palomino gelding to national level many years ago. This article isn’t long enough to list all her endurance achievements: four time Quilty winner – 2000; 2001; 2003 and 2008; AERA Middle Weight Rider of the Year for ten consecutive years; Individual fourth WEC, Spain 2002; three team bronze medals at World Championships. Meg has completed an amazing 69 160km competitions, winning 25 of them! Trish Smith of Sandford, Southern Tasmania. In contrast to the other stables in this article, Trish is an individual owner and rider of two Arabian horses based on a small property adjacent to the beautiful Storm Bay on the eastern shore of the Derwent River. After riding in pony club, some eventing and western pleasure, she took up Endurance Riding ten years ago and now in her mid-60s, hopes to continue for many more years. Trish has had up to five horses in work in the past but found it necessary, with a full time job, to downsize to a more manageable number. Apart from many successes on the Apple Isle, Trish has raided the mainland many times for many more achievements: seven Tom Quilty completions; five Shahzada 400km completions; completed three Easter Marathons in Tasmania; 2015 National One Horse/One Rider; Owner/Rider of 2015 National Distance Horse; 2015 National Lightweight Points and Distance Horse; 2015 National 100% Completion Horse (1,684kms); three “Big Three” completions 2013, 2015 and 2016 (Shahzada, Quilty and State Champs). These four stables answered my questionnaire about training endurance horses and the results are as follows:
STARTING A YOUNG HORSE AT WHAT AGE / WORK LOAD / EVENTS
Glenmore: Ideally our horses are broken in at three years, do a few weeks of basic dressage schooling before being turned out in the hills until the next year. If they are four rising five, after basic schooling they will do some stock work on the farm over winter before they enter the Novice system as a five-year-old. They will Jandré Kasselman (South Africa) riding the Anglo Arab Rudann Avoca
often just complete two x 40km and two x 80km rides and then are turned out until the next season. Ber-Kaz: We back our young horses at four years. Do more ring work / long reining to build topline. Start with dressage training, lots of arena work, changing reins, commands, flexibility, consistency and discipline, discipline and discipline! Meg: We do not have them broken in until they are about four years of age. Take time, rest is as important as training. Trish: I like to start horses at four, ride at four and a half to five, lots of ground and yard work and then trail ride and controlled exposure to as much as possible, including float work, yarding, riding in company etc.
STARTING AN OLDER HORSE UNBROKEN / FROM ANOTHER DISCIPLINE / AFTER A SPELL OR INJURY
Glenmore: They will go through much the same process as the younger ones but will usually go through the system further before they are spelled. It all depends on the amount of work they have done in a previous life and then they will go as far “through” the system in a season as possible. I have taken an eight-year-old former dressage/showjumper from novice to 3* in one season and he did it very easily. We have access to very good equine veterinarians and follow their advice whenever we are rehabilitating a horse back from an injury. Ber-Kaz: We start these horses very much the same as the younger ones, just slightly more focused and intense, if the horse allows it. If a horse is coming back from an injury, we start them slow and steady – go over groundwork once again and get them up to where they were before injury. Meg: Be realistic with what you are seeing. Always take time. Consistency is one of the most important things. Monitor them closely and keep records! Trish: I have never done this, having bought all my horses at a young age.
TRAINING / MAINTENANCE OF A SEASONED HORSE BEGINNING OF SEASON, DURING COMPETITION, DURING OFF SEASON
Glenmore: The seasoned horses usually come into work a couple of months later than the youngsters. Their workload will start as gentle and gradually build up over about eight weeks. The first few weeks will be mainly walking in the hills or on gravel roads. We use most competition rides as training for all the horses and they are given plenty of rest between these competitions, generally 5–6 days off after an 80km ride with the first two days in open grassy paddocks. They are shod every 4–5 weeks during the season and left barefoot during off season. Whilst in work they have regular massage therapy / manipulation and are supplemented with a high level joint protection product in their feed. During the off season they are turned out on hill country amongst cattle and sheep in large paddocks and left to be horses! Ber-Kaz: We make use of a walker to do much of our training of seasoned endurance horses as we only have a 13 hectare property in which to train. We do a lot of “long slow distance” training in the walker – during competition season, horses can spend as much as three hours in the walker with intermittent breaks, two / three times a week. These horses also receive one dressage session a week. Out rides are arranged at least once a week on nearby farms to do hill work, sand etc. Meg: Regular worming and hoof maintenance. Slow and steady when they come back in. Observing regular trot ups are important. We always trot them up before leaving for a competition and before we go to the vet check. Post competition observation is very important, trot sound, eating, drinking, manuring etc. Trish: I came to endurance quite late in life so my approach is just to ‘complete’. My main endurance horse covers a massive amount of ENDURANCE AUSTRALIA
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kilometres in a year at a predominantly constant steady pace – mainly trot with some canter to stretch different muscles. Using this steady, stress-free pace he is able to back up his rides two to three weeks apart. Training between events is mainly strength work – walking in sand dunes and hills which also maintains his fitness. DO YOU DO ALL YOUR OWN TRAINING?
Glenmore: We do all our own training. The young and lower level horses do most of their training out doing farm work and mustering and we feel this is invaluable as they learn a lot of the skills you want to teach an endurance horse. Training for those that need extra flat work to balance them or deal with favoured leads or diagonals is often done over winter by Brigitte at school, where she has access to good arenas and jumping facilities. When a horse has reached 100kms+ level, most of the training is more specialised and planned. Ber-Kaz: Yes, but we do employ a working rider who concentrates solely on the dressage and groundwork. The endurance riders do the outrides on the horses they will ride in competition. Meg: We have employed people, with many of our riders becoming very successful endurance riders. Communication is the most important thing. Trish: I do all my own training, grooming, feeding, clipping, driving to and from rides, as well as my own strapping at 80km events. At 100 milers and marathons my husband usually helps. DO YOU KEEP NOTES AND TRAINING LOGS FOR YOUR HORSES?
Glenmore: We have at times kept detailed logs, especially when training off season for World Championships or similar but we don’t routinely write everything down. Because the family trains as a team we have regular discussions on each horse and how it is progressing and what we feel it needs etc. We’re all pretty much on the same wavelength with our training. Ber-Kaz: We try to, but not always. We rather place horses more in groups regarding experience and work them accordingly. Meg: Yes, it is a very useful tool when dealing with many horses in work and different riders. Trish: In the early years I did – now our routines are fairly set and just the basics are monitored i.e. heart rate recovery; worming schedules; vaccinations; checks for leg injuries; any observed issues regarding feeding; demeanour and paddock behaviour etc. DO YOU USE ANY TRAINING AIDS? WHAT SORT OF TERRAIN DO YOU USE FOR MOST OF YOUR TRAINING ?
Glenmore: We don’t have access to anything like walkers or pools, just farm work and try to train appropriately for the rides we are targeting. Most of our training is done over medium to steep hill country. We use a flat paddock to jog or canter at least once a fortnight. Most of our terrain is good underfoot and rarely gets hard, so at times we will walk the horses on the road for some concussion work – especially when training to go overseas off season. Ber-Kaz: We utilise a mechanical walker. Our terrain is mainly hard ground and we have to travel to practise on hills and in sand. Meg: Now only ridden. We used to have a walker which we walked and trotted on. It was a great adjunct when we had a lot of horses in work. Our training terrain nowadays is mainly undulating to flat.
Monique Kasselman (South Africa) riding Potfontein Handle, a Cape Riding Horse. Photo Mani Ward Photo Pixel Art
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Trish: I don’t have the luxury of any training aids apart from the sea and the terrain where I live. It’s just me and my horse – if I’m not riding him, I walk the trails with him, which also helps with my own fitness and stamina. My training terrain is quite diverse from beaches, sand dunes and sand flats to sandstone rock, gravel tracks and roadside verges, including plenty of good hills. Sea water walking is a favourite training element.
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Jean Jacques Kasselman (South Africa) riding the Arabian stallion FS Jumanji-El-Saghir. Photo Mani Ward Photo Pixel Art
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DO YOU INCLUDE ANY FLATWORK, POLES ETC. AND ANY SPECIAL PROGRAMS FOR SPECIFIC EVENTS?
WHAT ARE YOUR PERSONAL PREFERENCES WHEN CHOOSING OR BREEDING HORSES FOR ENDURANCE RIDING?
Glenmore: Apart from the farm work, Brigitte is able to spend some time doing flat work as already mentioned. If we are targeting a championship ride with a horse rather than just training to qualify, we will train specifically to prepare the horse for the contour of the venue. Our horses are naturally prepared for hill country but if we think it will be a flat and therefore faster ride, we will do more cantering on the flats than normal and try to compete in at least one ride that is an easy / fast track. Training programs for WECs always require us to train off season, so the entire program has to be carefully planned and we will travel quite a distance to train on appropriate country.
Glenmore: We don’t specifically prefer purebred Arabians over Anglos and have had some very good partbreds in the past. Now we only breed pure or Anglos as the probability of them being very good is higher than a mixed breed horse. It’s not that partbreds aren’t as good but there is always a chance the horse will “throw” to the breed that is not so suited to endurance.
Ber-Kaz: We definitely include flatwork as already mentioned and have had better success since including this element. In South Africa our national long distance championship over 200kms warrants us to do some more intensive hill work. For the African Endurance Championships in Namibia, we need to ride in sand – sand – sand! Depending on where we will be riding, we adjust our training program and the qualifying rides we do.
Every horse is an individual and we believe the key to success is recognising the strengths and weaknesses in each and then trying to tailor training and management to get the best out of them. Most horses can’t be superstars but a good, sound horse can achieve some great results with the right upbringing and management.
Our base of mares are old fashioned, mainly Crabbet and have crossed very well with the stallions we have – one being an old Straight Egyptian stallion, Shalom La Ish, we had on lease. He has left us with some tremendous horses such as the two we took to the 2014 WEG in France – Glenmore Tariq and Glenmore Vixen.
Meg: We mostly just do distance work, occasionally some circle work in a paddock if we feel they need it. If we were preparing for a major competition that had more hills than our horses were accustomed, we would trailer them once a week or so for more specific hill training. If we were preparing for a flat track we would make sure they did more consistent canter work.
Ber-Kaz: Our greatest successes have been on partbred Arabians – Anglos and Arab/Boerperd crosses – the latter are very hardy and particularly suited to the terrain of many of our endurance competitions. Our riders are generally heavyweight (over 95kg) and feel more comfortable on the Anglos or partbreds. We have bred many partbreds out of proven endurance mares and registered Arabian stallions. We also have a purebred breeding program but these horses are still too young to make any assumptions as yet.
Trish: I still like to work in the round yard – mainly flexibility work and bending as well as working on softness and response to commands. For Shahzada, I try to increase hill and sand work starting about two months out.
Temperament and the will to achieve / perform – you can’t teach a horse – this is also paramount if you are to ride in front. Some horses just “have it”, they want to lead and you just need to channel their energy and not break their spirit!
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Georgia Smith (NZ) riding Glenmore Style Ish. Photo Seahorse Photography
Meg Wade and Chris Gates of Castlebar Endurance
Brigitte Smith (NZ) and Glenmore Titan. Photo Seahorse Photography
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Then, a good rider is also important. A bad rider can break a good horse – a good rider can do wonders with a very average horse!
Murray Smith (NZ) riding Glenmore Titan. Photo Seahorse Photography
Meg: Purebred Arabs, Anglos or partbreds. Endurance genetics are very strong, so proven bloodlines are the preferred choice. Genetics for heart rate recovery is of the utmost importance. Trish: To me, breeding is not as important as the horse itself. I look for a well put together individual around 3–4 years old and preferably a gelding that has been handled well but not had too much done with him. I prefer 14.3 hh or under, with perfect feet and legs and a good natural trot that covers the ground. I have a preference for small, neat feet as they pick their tracks better in rough country. A short back with a shoulder set well and a reasonably low natural head carriage. I like to “click” with a horse well, given that we would be looking at a lifetime together. I always look for “soft” eyes, soft eye – soft horse, I reckon. I do like greys – they are so easy to clip! I would like to impress that my approach to endurance riding is to achieve the best result for myself and my horse at any given event. If it means coming into base last, that is fine with me – it will most likely be with a very happy, relaxed horse who could easily head back out onto the track again if asked. Sometimes I’ve thought I should have a go at a fast ride, my horse is certainly capable but why change what already works? Rahn has learned to look after himself so well now and is definitely a “seasoned” horse, so strong and healthy and always giving his best. We don’t go fast but we sure do cover an amazing amount of successful kilometres together every year...to complete is definitely to win!
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Understanding Feed AND SUPPLEMENT LABELS
Written By Carol Layton B.Sc M.Ed*
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hoosing the right feed and supplements for your horses can be a confusing exercise. Knowing what your horses actually need is one challenge, understanding the information provided by labels on feeds and supplements is another. Fortunately, deciphering the label is not as difficult. In Australia, guidelines have been developed through consultation between the Stock Feed Manufacturers’ Council of Australia (SFMCA) and State and Territory Departments of Agriculture so that products sold across Australia comply with the same labelling standard, which makes it easier to compare the different horse feeds. Horse feed products generally come under the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) non-medicated and unregulated animal feed products and supplements category. Non-medicated feed ingredients and products must look, smell and taste like feed and can only be presented in marketing materials as being suitable to help maintain natural or normal health, production, or performance, and be intended solely for nutritional purposes. Labelling must clearly differentiate from products formulated for animal treatment or medication. Labelling can say it may ‘help’ maintain organ and system health but not make any therapeutic claims. Therapeutic claims may only be made for registered veterinary chemical products. The label should also clearly state the ingredients the product contains, as well as the inclusion rate, expressed as a quantity per kilogram of feed (not per kilogram of animal body weight). Feed companies can vary in how the ingredients are expressed. It can specify the specific ingredient, for example, barley, soybean meal, lucerne meal or specify a feed type such as cereal grains, vegetable protein meal and legumes. By specifying a type, companies can be more flexible depending on availability and cost of ingredients. It is understandable for feed and supplement companies to present their products in the best light so people are more likely to buy them. If they can give the impression that their products are beneficial, it’s to their advantage. However, not all products are as beneficial as their marketing material suggests. Being able to decipher the information on labels can assist in:
Understanding your horse’s nutritional requirements will help your horse, no matter what equestrian sport you enjoy. Photo Sharon Meyers
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s electing and evaluating products comparing different feeds selecting products that contain the nutrients your horses need rather than the nutrients that are not needed or beneficial selecting products that economically provide the best value differentiating nutritional facts from marketing propaganda.
Test your horse’s forage to see what nutrients may need to be supplemented. Photo Sharon Meyers
There are many products available that claim to be ‘complete’ feeds or ‘balancers’. It is worthwhile being aware that no feed that comes in a bag or bucket can match the breadth of nutrients in green grass as some nutrients don’t survive processing or being stored with other nutrients. A so called complete feed usually needs to be fed in very large amounts to contain the levels of nutrients but are unrealistic for most situations where horses have access to grass and hay. Even then the nutrient levels may not be high enough. Balancers can’t possibly balance the whole intake of minerals without knowing the nutrient profile of the rest of the diet, in particular the bulk of the intake, the forage. Ideally, the best approach to understand what your horses need is to know what nutrients need supplementing. The easiest and best way is to test your horses’ forage. It’s not an exact science but the best approach we have in terms of accuracy. A laboratory test can provide feedback on the quality of the bulk of the diet, whether it is pasture or hay. Then, if a feed product or supplement is required, choose what to feed on the basis of what they are already getting. You can learn how to do this by enrolling in a NRCPlus class with Dr Eleanor Kellon VMD drkellon.com or ask an independent equine nutritionist. You visit your local stockfeed supplier because you have been told that your pasture and hay is deficient in minerals and needs ‘balancing’ for your horses. You pick
up a mineral supplement product, probably one you have been recommended with an analysis and ingredient list. The analysis may list the nutrients in either percentage (%) or g/kg (grams per kg), ppm (parts per million) or IU (International Units). Faced with these units and amounts, it’s no wonder that many horse owners have difficulty evaluating a product. Following are two examples of product nutrient profiles: Two Examples of Supplements Example 1 Mineral/Vitamin
Typical level
Major minerals Calcium (Ca)
1.55%
Phosphorous (P)
0.03%
Magnesium (Mg)
0.23%
Sodium (Na)
0.6%
Potassium (K)
0.14%
Sulfur (S)
0.01%
Trace minerals Iron (Fe)
0.7%
Copper (Cu)
7 ppm
Zinc (Zn)
33 ppm
Manganese
282 ppm
Vitamins Vitamin A
105000 IU
Vitamin E
6379 IU
Minerals are categorised as either major or as a trace mineral. Major minerals are not more important than the trace minerals, it just means that they are required in gram (g) amounts and the traces which are equally important, are required in milligram (mg) amounts. Using calcium as an example, % means out of 100. So 1.55% is equivalent to 1.55 g/100 g, or 15.5 g/1000 g = 15.5 g/kg. If the recommended feeding rate per day is 50 g then the daily amount of calcium from this product is 0.775 g, (50 x 15.5/1000), less than 1 gram. A common method for expressing levels of trace minerals is with ppm (parts per million) or 1 mg per 1,000,000 mg or 1 mg/kg. Using zinc as an example, 33 ppm is equivalent to 33 mg/kg. 50 g of this supplement will provide 1.65 mg zinc (50 x 33/1000). Sometimes companies will use different units which is confusing. If trace mineral concentrations are expressed in percentage (%) rather than ppm, % can be converted to ppm by multiplying by 10,000. For example, iron 0.7 x 10000 = 7000 ppm or mg/kg. This product is extremely high in iron compared to copper (7 mg/kg) and zinc. This particular supplement is very low in the minerals horses are most often deficient in; copper and zinc and high in the minerals that horses most often don’t need supplemented; iron and manganese. To get some idea of the amounts horses need based on research, the National Research Council (NRC) has determined that a 450kg ENDURANCE AUSTRALIA
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horse in heavy work, typical workload of an endurance horse requires 36 g calcium and 450 mg zinc per day. Many nutritionists aim for 150% NRC rather than 100% NRC levels as the NRC requirements are rock bottom levels to prevent a deficiency state from being expressed. A buffer or insurance level is good practice to take into account any sampling errors from testing pasture and hay samples and interference from common environmental contaminants like sulfur. The exception is iron as a dietary deficiency has never been documented and the electrolytes; sodium, chloride and potassium since absorption is highly efficient and there is no competition. At 150% NRC levels, the calcium daily requirement is 54 g and zinc is 675 mg. At 100% NRC, the requirement for iron is 450 mg per day. 50 g of this product would supply 350 mg iron. Since pasture and hay is generally very high in iron, especially pasture, it’s not beneficial to add more. In excess iron can be inflammatory and can cause secondary deficiencies with zinc and copper. When choosing a mineral supplement, it’s better to avoid sulfur though this product’s level of sulfur is very low at 0.01% or 0.1 g/ kg. Sulfur is suspected of interfering with uptake of copper and selenium. Horses have no known requirement for inorganic sulphur, however, horses do have a requirement for sulfur-containing amino acids (cystine, cysteine, methionine, taurine). Fresh grass and hay with more than sufficient protein to satisfy protein requirements, especially lucerne, and grains are excellent sources for these amino acids. Vitamins are either expressed in International Units (IU) or mg/kg. International units are a measure of potency so theoretically whether the vitamin is natural or synthetic, the potency should be the same. For example 400 IU synthetic vitamin E should be equivalent to 400 IU natural vitamin E. However, there is some evidence that natural vitamin E could be twice as bioavailable as synthetic vitamin E according to Kentucky Equine Research however the trial (Form and source of tocopherol affects vitamin E status in horses) was short term and it is not known if levels would have equalised in time. There are online calculators that can convert IU to mg/ kg and vice versa. As a general rule, vitamin E should not be stored with minerals as it oxidises easily, instead it should be supplemented separately. An easy way to supplement vitamin E is with human capsules, added to a feed. Vitamin E content in grasses averages 110 IU/kg dry matter whilst hay contains little vitamin E. Liquid vitamin E products such as in human capsules in an oil base are the best, as there is evidence that shows fat soluble vitamin E needs fat immediately with it for maximum absorption. What isn’t absorbed is excreted. Vitamin A (trans-retinol, present in the diet in the form of carotenoids) is an 48
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interesting inclusion in many vitamin and mineral products as supplementation is only required if the sole intake is based on bleached (not green) hay or hay that is more than 12 months old. Grass and green hays like lucerne and grains are rich sources of vitamin A. Carrots contain roughly 8500 IU vitamin A (as beta-carotene) in a 17.5 to 20cm carrot. Too much can be toxic. Example 2 Mineral
Typical level
Major minerals Calcium (Ca)
9.3%
Phosphorous (P)
2%
Magnesium (Mg)
2.4%
Sodium (Na)
0.6%
Potassium (K)
1.7%
Sulfur (S)
1.6%
Trace minerals Iron (Fe)
4.9%
Copper (Cu)
0.1 ppm
Zinc (Zn)
1 ppm
Manganese
0.12%
Cobalt
20 ppm
Selenium
2.5 ppm
Iodine
4 ppm
Molybdenum
1 ppm
Boron
10 ppm
At a glance we can see that many of the nutrients are at higher levels compared to the first example with the exception of copper and zinc. At 0.1 ppm (0.1 mg/kg) for copper, it’s essentially close enough to zero. Iron is even more excessive (4.9 x 10000 = 49000 mg/kg). If feeding 50 g, it would contribute around 2450 mg iron per day. Some manufacturers don’t declare the iron level in their product. The inclusion of nutrients like cobalt and boron are contentious for horses. Recently, cobalt has been in the headlines as cobalt (cobalt chloride) is considered a banned performance-enhancing supplement in the racing industry. Grass (and hay) and other plants contain cobalt which the NRC considers adequate for horses. Cobalt has no known function inside the horse except as a component of vitamin B12. B12 is essential for fatty acid metabolism, DNA synthesis and the conversion of folic acid into an active form. Vitamin B12 is not present in the equine diet, instead it is produced by intestinal microorganisms and absorption was studied in the 1970s. No vitamin B12 deficiency has ever been documented and oral or injectable B12 leads to only transient elevations in the blood levels followed by rapid excretion. There is growing evidence that too much cobalt is highly damaging to horses. Forage contributes on average, 10–50 ppm boron, depending on soil types and conditions (NRC 2007). The NRC states that,
“it is assumed that the natural background levels in forage are sufficient to meet the very small requirements for these trace elements in horses”. They further state that, “the supplementation of these elements, including the rare earth elements, is not based on scientifically elaborated, valid data, and has the potential to be dangerous to horses.“ Understanding what your horses’ nutritional requirements are and which nutrients need feeding, combined with good horse management practices and training, will help your horses do the distance easier.
*Carol Layton B.Sc M.Ed Balanced Equine www.balancedequine.com.au Independent feeding advice and optimised, mineral balanced diets for horses. Carol is a keen endurance rider with a passion for equine nutrition, training and management. Her horse, Omani Mr Sqiggle was the 2009 National Points and Distance horse for her weight division. Together they have completed the 400 km marathon, Shahzada three times and many 80 and 160km State Championship and Tom Quilty rides along with numerous best conditioned awards.
Carefully choose the right feed and supplements for your horse. Photo Sue Crockett
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PLUS
MOV-EASE JOINT SUPPORT
Malcolm tailing Allamir Silver Domanic at the 1999 QLD Festival of the Horse 100km ride. Photo Sue Crockett
One Horse One Rider M A L C O L M M AT T E R S A N D A L L A M I R S I LV E R D O M A N I C
Written by Paula Boer
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alcolm Matters has been riding in endurance since 1990. In his 25 years and over 10,000kms of competition, the majority of those have been with a feisty grey 15hh Arabian gelding, Allamir Silver Domanic (aka Dom). According to Malcolm, Dom is ‘a difficult horse to get close to’, yet despite this challenge they have twice won the prestigious Paul Grieves award in consecutive years for the horse and rider combination successfully completing the Shahzada 400km marathon with the most previous Shahzada buckles earned together. Their impressive list of successes includes six Shahzada, four Quilty and three Fara-way buckles, being a member of the AERA Decade Teams (a horse and rider combination that does at least one successful endurance ride each year for ten consecutive years) and a total of 7,922kms together. Add to that the many thousands of kilometres of training and these two have spent a great deal of time in each other’s company. Malcolm claims his success was mainly attributed to long, slow trail work – Dom was his vehicle when marking trails. With a machete on the back of his saddle, Malcolm made frequent stops to clear tracks with Dom wandering along behind, grazing or when in one of his moods, loitering so that Malcolm must retrace his steps to collect him. Luckily when he was tacked up Dom was happy to be caught – not so when he was in the paddock. Quickly realising that chasing the sprightly horse around the
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paddock would achieve nothing, Malcolm developed a simple routine of running Dom into his yard. Once there, Malcolm only had to lay a hand on him anywhere and Dom gave no more trouble. Attributing his manners to the multiple horse breakers that Dom suffered when still entire, Malcolm has worked hard to overcome many barriers to gain Dom’s trust. From when he first brought him home as a four-year-old, still bleeding from being gelded, Malcolm has spent as many hours working on the ground with Dom as in the saddle. Diligent in his horse-management, applying zinc cream and essential oils to the soft pink skin on Dom’s pasterns prone to greasy heel, trimming and shoeing him, and massaging sore muscles, Malcolm knows every one of Dom’s nuances. However, when away from home, Malcolm says, ‘he was a different horse, when he lay down he was happy for me to join him.’ It was during the three-day trek to the Tasmanian Quilty that Malcolm and Dom really sealed their bond, making the long journey from northern New South Wales, camping along the way and then sailing on the ferry. Dom was always good to float, and with Malcolm stopping every two and a half hours they spent plenty of time together with no other horses or people. Although they vetted out due to an injury on track, that Quilty remains a highlight in Malcolm’s memories for the closeness he felt to Dom. Before marrying fellow endurance rider Megan (Woodrow) Matters, Malcolm always attended rides without a strapper, though
help regularly appeared when needed and Dom grew quite a sizeable fan club. They also became well known by the vets, with Dom routinely chasing Malcolm around the witches’ hats with neck stretched out and teeth bared, a trick he didn’t do if someone else ran him. But for all his show of antagonism, Dom obviously didn’t mean Malcolm harm. The first time Malcolm rode him, he ended up on Dom’s neck but the horse didn’t take the opportunity to dislodge his rider. On the rare occasion when Malcolm did come off, Dom always waited for him and was no trouble to remount, unlike at the start of rides when he became very agitated and often had to be held, especially with a large start such as at a Quilty. As soon as Malcolm hit the saddle he’d call, ‘Let him go!’ and then, with an obligatory pig-root, they’d be off. In their 66 endurance rides Dom only vetted out or was withdrawn seven times. Malcolm ascribes this to Dom’s very high pain threshold and competitive nature. Also, Dom was great to tail, so many photos of the pair show Malcolm running behind rather than in the saddle. Malcolm believes another secret to their success came from knowing when to leave the pacing up to Dom – he always liked to start fast and then settle into his own rhythm. If Dom started to flag, Malcolm would lift him with his own energy and they’d power on. Malcolm always rode for completions, not to place, and preferred the marathons where he and Dom could settle into their stride. Dom was always keen pre-ride and
was physically very flexible, so Malcolm could soon tell if something wasn’t quite right. However Dom always pulsed very high, so after leading at the start of rides Malcolm would slow down as soon as the sun rose, letting the faster horses go by. With a resting heart rate in the mid-30s and a heart rate in the 50s on the first day of a ride, subsequent days Dom maintained a steady pattern in the 40s. Malcolm summed this up as ‘the longer he went the better he got; after the second leg he’d just go at a steady rate and was less hard to hold.’ The Quilty was also a favourite ride of Malcolm’s, making it to all states with Dom other than Western Australia, though not all successfully. Dom suffered a severe kick to his point of shoulder in South Australia, which couldn’t be stitched and in Tasmania he badly knocked his coronet on the edge of the track. But competition wasn’t the reason Malcolm rode. For him the pleasure came from being out with his horse. Working long hours in his day job meant Malcolm did most of his training in the dark, come rain or shine. Dom was great at bush-bashing and would go anywhere, throwing himself up the steepest climbs or sliding down banks, crossing water or navigating obstacles. Most of their outings were 30–40kms, exploring the mountains alone around home and designing the track for the ride that Malcolm ran north of Coffs Harbour for many years. For an ex-surfer who didn’t learn to ride until his late 30s, and didn’t commence endurance until his 40s, Malcolm has achieved with one horse more than most riders achieve in a lifetime. With Dom now retired and aged 28 (still only catchable with a rattling bucket) Malcolm has struggled to find a new partner for endurance but has high hopes for his homebred Arabian derivative, Mango Man, who started his career in 2015.
The pair competed at the 2002 Tom Quilty in Victoria where they placed seventh
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Author Jen Clingly riding the unshod Arabian gelding, Imaj Zamir. Photo Matt Bennet
No Hoof No Horse NO RIDE!
Written by Jen Clingly – Wild About Hooves
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ommiserations to those who have had to postpone their goals and dreams because of a hoof related issue with their endurance horse. Some horse people have a gift for recognising that something is not right with their horse. Some can pick lameness; some are really talented at identifying those tiny issues in a horse’s giddy-up that most of us don’t even notice until they develop into something more serious. Not everyone is blessed with special powers, so this article is aimed to highlight some common hoof issues that hinder the kilometre crunching success of the endurance horse. The hoof is a window to a horse’s health; like a barometer to gauge what’s going on. It’s a handy skill to be able to learn to read the hoof and pinpoint problems yourself and deal with them before you call your hoof care provider and vet and hand over your hard won money.
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DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS YOU CAN USE If you head out to the paddock with your saddle and ‘uh oh’ your horse is lame, don’t jump straight onto Facebook! Take the time to study your equine friend. Your powers of observation and intuition are valuable. Observation: Look for signs of pain. Look at your horse’s eye. This can tell you a lot about his attitude. Watch your horse from a distance. How does he or she stand? Watch the horse move. Horses that trip, land toe first, take short strides, forge or display any number of gait abnormalities may be moving this way because of pain. If something is hard to pick up, video the horse with the slow motion feature in your phone. Get down at ground level, in this way you can pick up any inconsistencies in foot balance. You may find the horse is landing toe first on one hoof, which could be indicating caudal heel pain. Examples of this are from thrush or navicular. The key to picking up abnormal issues is to know what is “normal” for your horse. Then abnormal really jumps out at you.
Hoof Assessment: Pick up the hooves and examine them carefully. The aim is to evaluate balance, look for symmetry and any abnormalities or pathologies. So how do you assess balance in a hoof? There is so much controversy regarding how a healthy hoof is supposed to look but balance is one secret to lifelong soundness and maximum performance. § Look for symmetry of the hairline along the coronary band and symmetry of the heel bulbs. In a healthy hoof the hairline slopes in a straight line from the dorsal wall to the heel when viewed from the side. § Frog alignment – a healthy frog is broad, level with the heels and usually has a leathery appearance. The frog should be approx. 2/3 length of the hoof. § The hoof pastern axis – assess the axis of the hoof in relation to the pastern. Draw an imaginary line through the foot and the pastern parallel to the front of the
Taking the digital pulse
Check if your horse is lame
hoof wall. It should be roughly straight. This “superman vision” method can give you a general idea of bone alignment in the lower limb. Good alignment is important for biomechanical efficiency in the endurance horse. § Straight hoof wall is a good indicator of balance and health. A hoof wall should not show flaring or bulging nor be decorated with rings. In a healthy hoof the wall is smooth and often shiny. § Medial lateral balance gives you an estimate of how level the pedal bone sits within the hoof capsule. To assess this stand in front of the horse and look at the hoof straight on. Second, look at the hoof from behind. Crouch down to look for balance of the heel bulbs. On a horse with great conformation and balanced hooves this will look symmetrical from both angles. § Look at the white line in the hoof? Ideally you want to see a tight white line. Note: it’s never white but honey coloured. A white line that is stretched, or stained with blood, has cavities or black spots should set off your alarm bells that there is a problem. § Look at the sole – good quality sole should be hard and shiny and if you palpate or press on it, it shouldn’t flex. Horses who suffer with thin soles and are tender footed will have very shallow collateral grooves at the apex of the frog, very little concavity in the hoof and you may be able to flex the sole at the apex of the frog when you press with your thumbs. § A plump digital cushion can be a great indicator of a strong, well-developed caudal hoof. Get hands on and feel it. Is
it plump like a squash ball or does your horse’s digital cushion feel like a soggy sponge that creates frog movement when you squish it?
UNDERSTANDING BALANCE There is no question that strong balanced hooves are one of the most important features of the longevity in an endurance athlete. These horse’s hooves must be able to withstand the continual concussion and pounding sustained during years of training and competition. Hooves that are compromised are not going to cope with the punishment of endurance competition. As outlined earlier, hoof balance is a multidimensional concept and there are many more ways to assess it. The ultimate challenge of good hoof care and maintaining healthy, functional balanced hooves is working with each horse as an individual and recognising what is balance and soundness for your horse. Back to diagnostic tools we can use… Palpation: One of the handiest things we have, excuse the pun, are our hands. Feel, poke and prod your horse’s hooves. Feel for heat and swelling. Run your hands down the horse’s legs to feel the tendons, lateral cartilages and squeeze the digital cushion, palpate along the coronary band. Your horse should not be reactive to this unless you find something out of the ordinary. Feeling the Digital Pulse: This is the best diagnostic tool you can use. It rates highly with your stethoscope and thermometer for monitoring your horse’s vital signs. It’s important to learn where it is and how to feel it.
A strong bounding digital pulse is always indicative of inflammation and pain. The most common causes of this are abscessing and laminitis. Use your Nose: Pathologies in the hoof usually emit a bad smell. Don’t be scared to take a whiff to identify when something is not normal. Thrush, seedy toe, abscesses and infections tend to have a foul stench.
RECOGNISING AND TREATING COMMON HOOF PATHOLOGIES Some of the common hoof pathologies an endurance horse suffers: Unbalanced Hooves This happens because most people don’t get their horses shod or trimmed regularly enough. The hoof is continually growing, approximately 1cm a month. Often on an endurance horse the rate of growth is a lot faster because they are in work. Movement stimulates growth. Ideally a horse should be shod every three to four weeks. So the negatives with unbalanced hooves is they begin to distort. Long toes, under run heels, upright hooves, contracted heels, flaring hoof walls, medial lateral imbalances. These can progress to biomechanical changes and body issues. Carl O’Dwyer, one of Australia’s renowned farriers and shoe manufacturers offers strong advice to owners to give horses some time out of shoes, “Horses need time without shoes to heal from the damage that metal shoes can cause.” Hoof Rings In a well-managed horse with its workload, nutrition, minerals and lifestyle all in ENDURANCE AUSTRALIA
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Seedy toe has the appearance of black paste or is sometimes crumbly grey muck. If you excavate the hole it can be tiny to huge depending on how long it has been left untreated. How to Treat Excavate the muck out and chase every bit of the black out. § Treat with antifungal applications § The only way to resolve the problem is to grow down a better-connected hoof capsule and this will most likely mean you revisit your feed regime to include a balanced mineral plan. First step with hoof care is to trim the wall back and apply a bevelled edge. This may be enough to grow the infected wall out. A healthy, balanced hoof
harmony, the hoof wall should be smooth with no distortions. A common warning sign of internal dysfunction is wavy growth rings. These ridges offer important clues. Based on hoof growth of approximately 1cm a month from the coronary band, you can estimate when the stress occurred. Any rings in the face of the hoof wall is an indication of change. This could represent a change in the horse’s lifestyle, workload, environment, diet, travel, seasonal and weather changes and even the result of the last endurance ride. If the rings are coupled with a stretched white line, it is a sign the horse has suffered from laminitis. Horizontal cracks in the hoof wall These rings indicate an inflammation from too much concussion. This is a big issue that faces endurance horses and in severe cases will grow down with a yawning cavity. These changes warrant radiographs to determine if there is underlying problems in the pedal bone. It highlights the hoof needs more shock absorption properties to withstand concussive rides, so consider riding with pads or hoof boots. Seedy Toe – White Line Disease (different name, same thing) This bacteria or fungi looks for a little cavity or separation in the white line or laminae and then proceeds to party and proliferate. Initially this does not cause lameness because it involves the insensitive tissues. But lameness can occur when muck packs into the crevice and results in an infection. Lameness also occurs when the ground forces cause the disconnected wall to flare out and tear the sensitive tissues. In bad cases it can spread from the toe to the coronary band. 54
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§ If it fails to improve, then it may be necessary to perform a resection and expose it to the air. § Treating agents are numerous. Tea-tree oil, iodine, watered down bleach or copper sulphate or apple cider vinegar in a spray bottle. § If it’s difficult for you to treat daily, pack the crevice with a blend of copper sulphate crystals and Vaseline. Jam it in with cotton balls using your hoof pick. Seedy toe should not be ignored! It is also possible for stones to lodge in these holes and contrary to popular belief these are an effect of the stretched white line, not a cause. It’s not possible for stones and debris to penetrate a healthy tight white line because when the laminae connection is healthy, it is tightly bonded to the internal structure and there are no holes.
Abscesses can blow out at the sole, called a sub-solar abscess or they follow the track of least resistance and pop out at the heel bulb or along the coronary band. Once the pressure is relieved lameness immediately subsides. Identifying where an abscess is brewing It’s sometimes possible to identify a smouldering abscess by palpating along the heel bulbs and coronary band to elicit a reaction from your horse. They will be certain to let you know when it’s sore to poke. Similarly, if you investigate the sole and use the end of your hoof pick to push around – you may source the spot. Identification of the exact location of a subsolar abscess allows a veterinarian to pare it out from the bottom of the sole before the infection migrates through the soft tissues of the foot. A word of warning: trying to relieve an abscess by digging holes in the sole is effective if you can pinpoint exactly where it lies but it can risk opening up routes for further bacterial infection and the subsequent down time for recovery is a lot longer than if your horse releases it naturally with the help of a poultice. How to Treat Movement is vital for an abscess to exit as quickly as possible so don’t confine your horse. Let him out with his herd buddies and the movement helps prevent swelling of the lower leg. A brewing hoof abscess responds well to hoof soaks in Epsom Salts or with a poultice of Epsom Salts. Poultice kits can be sourced or can be made simply with a plastic shopping bag, duct tape, cotton wool or nappy and Epsom Salts and water.
Once seedy toe has invaded the hoof, the horse will be at greater risk of suffering from abscesses. The cavities can be an easy route via which infection can attack. Hoof Abscessing The classic sign your horse is suffering with an abscess is lameness, pointing one hoof, unwilling to weight load the hoof, a bounding digital pulse and heat in that hoof. They are extremely painful for the horse. Sometimes your horse may be mildly lame on and off for sometime before the abscess becomes acute. Sometimes the lower leg will swell severely giving the impression your horse has broken his leg. In any case it’s the “thumbs down – no go” for showing up at the endurance event that weekend. Abscesses can develop from bruising and trauma to the sole, from a nail puncture, seedy toe infection or through separation at the white line. As dirt and manure pack into the defect, infection develops. Pressure from the build up of pus beneath the wall causes the pain and lameness. They are particularly common following periods of wet weather.
A hoof abscess poultice
YouTube footage to make a hoof poultice: www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyI_1jmaVo0 You can rely on your detective nose to recognise when the abscess has burst. It smells disgusting. Apply another poultice
to protect the abscess hole from dirt and manure. It will also encourage the abscess to drain. If an abscess bursts around the coronary band, this will grow out as a defect in the hoof wall. Sub-solar abscess can result in the sole coming away or separating which can freak people out. It’s best to leave as much of the old sole to protect the tender new sole underneath. Thrush If your horse is sensitive in the central sulcus of the frog and you can smell or see a stinking black discharge, it may well have a thrush infection. Your nose can also confirm a thrush infection. It stinks! Hooves with horizontal cracks from a concussive endurance ride
Equine thrush is caused by anaerobic bacteria (living without oxygen) that, when trapped in moisture, can create an infection that slowly eats away at the horse’s hoof tissue, particularly the frog area. Most of the time this will create some mild discomfort, but as long as it is addressed quickly it rarely does anything more. If thrush is untreated it can eventually make its way into the sensitive areas of the frog, invading and even bifurcating (dividing into two branches) the digital cushion deep inside.
Treating seedy toe
Thrush has the potential to cause a change in the horse’s biomechanics. Pain from the back of the hoof causes the horse to land on its toes and if this continues it can have a devastating impact on the navicular region within the hoof capsule. Thrush results from moist and unhygienic conditions. A horse standing in manure, rotten hay or mud encourages it to thrive.
Seedy toe
How to Treat § Thrush is preventable with good hygiene. Pick out the hooves daily. Medicate the bottom of the hoof with something that kills bacteria, this needs to be done daily. Iodine, copper sulphate products or do a daily soak of Lysol concentrate (mix as per directions) or an apple cider vinegar soak.
Pushing cotton wool on top of the antibacterial treatment into the cavity
§ For thrush in the deep central sulcus of the frog, use an antibacterial hand wipe and clean out the crevice using the same action as you would using dental floss. You can then pour iodine and plug the crevice with cotton wool. Check out footage on the Wild about Hooves Facebook page on treating thrush. It’s easy. But you must be diligent. § Other successful strategies include a 50/50 combination of Triple Antibiotic Ointment and Athletes Foot Cream in a catheter tip syringe squeezed into the central sulcus. Seedy toe bacteria
Warning: Do not tolerate deep crevices in the frog sulcus! If you lose sight of your hoof pick up there – this is a concern.
Final wipe with antibacterial treatment to secure the cotton wool in the cavity and protect it from dirt
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Battling thrush is a two-pronged approach. Antifungal treatments are important but the second essential is to improve hoof health. Provide your horse stimulating, well drained environments to live. If your horses lives in wet climates they need time on dry ground. Providing the correct diet and mineral balance will encourage healthy hoof growth and immunity.
NOTE TO YOURSELF Horse owners rarely give themselves enough credit for their own intuition. The time you spend with your horse clocking up the kilometres, you know better than anyone when your horse doesn’t feel right.
LISTEN TO YOUR HORSE Take responsibility for educating yourself on good hoof care. The more you learn, the better equipped you are to make decisions for your horse. Hoof issues can be avoided by being in tune and getting onto problems before they become a serious set back. After all, no hoof, no horse, no ride.
Good hoof care is imperative to a performance horse. Photo Sue Crockett
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Hooves left shod for long periods of time will become unbalanced. Overgrown and compromised hooves will impact on how a horse moves.
Feeding
THE ENDURANCE HORSE
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he ultimate goal in feeding should be to have a healthy horse able to perform at the best of his or her ability at their level of fitness and conditioning with a robust immune system. We want our endurance horse to do the distance at the speed he is trained and conditioned as easily as possible. The best diet is one where no nutrient is deficient and the minerals are balanced with as much high soluble fermentable fibre as possible, with the option of a concentrate (preferably oats) to supply additional energy to prevent fatigue. Endurance enthusiasts as a group are renowned for going the extra length to get the best fitting and comfortable saddle and tack, the best training regime for conditioning their horse, the best float or gooseneck the budget can provide to give themselves and their horses a comfortable ride but what about ensuring your equine athlete is fed an optimised, mineral balanced diet? An optimised balanced diet is one where the amounts of each nutrient are more than sufficient to cover the very high needs of an endurance horse in work and the minerals are in the right proportions to each other to prevent one mineral interfering with the absorption of another, setting up a secondary deficiency.
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Written by Carol Layton*
Dr Eleanor Kellon VMD www.drkellon.com says, “Healthy young to middle-aged adult horses will tolerate a wide range of minimal imbalances with no obvious outward signs, but many of the things we take for granted as ‘usual’ in horses, such as sun-bleaching, tendon/ligament/joint issues, immune system imbalances, poor fertility, muscle and nerve problems, bone problems can all have a nutritional component. All problems are a combination of genetics and outside influences.” Nutrition is one aspect we can control. Horses not under any stress may show no outward signs at all of mineral deficiencies – until their immune system is stressed, they become prone to illness, or are in the type of training required to be conditioned for endurance events. To know if a nutrient is deficient or being prevented from being absorbed or interfered with in the digestive tract by another nutrient and therefore out of balance, it’s essential to know the amounts of nutrients in the whole diet: the main forage plus supplementary feeds and supplements. It’s not enough just to balance one small part of the intake or a “balanced” product and expect the rest of the intake to be balanced. A representative sample of pasture or hay can be sent to a laboratory for testing to
see what kind of nutrient profile it has. The diet of an endurance horse should be predominantly made up of fibre as the horse’s digestive system evolved on high fibre vegetation – either grass or if no pasture available, then hay. Testing a representative sample of grass or hay is the best approach as it’s the foundation of the diet. The nutrient intake from supplementary feed can be calculated from the data provided by laboratories or feed companies. When determining the amounts of nutrients needed, refer to the National Research Council (NRC) report Nutrient Requirements for Horses (2007). The NRC is part of the National Academy of Sciences in the USA, a private non-profit research institution that provides science, technology and health information that helps officials build policy and industry guidelines. The NRC equine committee gathers, analyses and publishes information about research in equine nutrition. The NRC provides the known nutrient requirements for horses by weight, age, workload and reproductive status. Tables are given which set out the minimum requirements to prevent deficiency state symptoms, discussions of each of the
nutrients listed and maximum tolerance levels and recommended ratios. The beauty in knowing what your horse is getting in the forage (pasture or hay) means you can supplementary feed what the horse needs to correct deficiencies and excesses and not what isn’t needed.
NUTRIENTS IN BRIEF FIBRE
Ideally, what we feed a horse should be high in soluble, fermentable fibre as this is what a horse’s digestive system evolved on. Fibre is not just about “fill”, it’s about providing energy, nutrients and is also beneficial in terms of immune function and behaviour. Researchers are finding that horses on low fibre/high starch intakes have higher reactivity, are more stressed (higher dopamine release) than horses on high fibre/low starch intakes. A low fibre intake typically contains large quantities of grain or high starch feeds like rice bran. Soluble fibre like cellulose (grass, hay) and pectin (beet pulp, lupin hulls and soybean hulls) are fermented by microbes providing a horse with sustained energy that can be used over a long period of time. Beet pulp, soybean hulls and lupin hulls are low sugar and starch, low fat, high soluble fermentable fibre forage feeds with an energy level close to oats. The reason these feeds are so ideal for horses is
that instead of sugars or starch supplying the energy, the fibre is fermented by microbes in the gut primarily into acetate, a volatile fatty acid which can be used by cells, especially muscle cells to produce energy. It’s a great fuel. If not needed for energy, acetate will be converted into fat in the liver. Beet pulp, lupin hulls and soybean hulls are excellent for fuelling a horse in work and for putting condition on an underweight horse. Both beet pulp and soybean hulls soaked are fantastic for gut sounds and hydration at endurance rides as both soak up so much water. For endurance horses, a 50:50 mixture by weight of beet pulp/soybean hulls and whole oats for additional energy provide less of a glucose spike and less risk of “hot horse” issues than plain grains alone.
Essential amino acids can be limiting amino acids, for example, lysine. A strong smell of ammonia from bacterial breakdown of urea in the urine can indicate either too much protein in the diet or a deficiency in one or more of the essential amino acids, even with a high protein intake (poor quality protein). In an endurance horse’s diet, sufficient quality protein is required to meet protein requirement, including muscle tissue repair. CARBOHYDRATE
PROTEIN
Carbohydrates are formed in plants as a result of photosynthesis. They include sugars and complex carbohydrates such as starch, cellulose and fructan. Glucose is the main energy source and can be converted to glycogen, fat or amino acids. Glucose can be burned for energy efficiently, either with or without oxygen and is the preferred fuel for the brain and heart. Glucose is ready to use in the form it was absorbed and is the most versatile.
Dietary protein is required for growth, muscle development, reproduction, lactation, repair of body tissues, and skin and hair development. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, some like lysine and leucine are known as “essential” which means that they have to come from the diet and others like alanine and glutamine are “non essential”, they can be manufactured by the horse.
Since muscle glycogen (stored glucose) is so important for energy and rapid recovery from prolonged exercise, it is important to replenish muscle glycogen stores before the next workout or competition. A recent Kentucky Equine Research trial found that a combined low carbohydrate/higher fat intake can have the lowest muscle glycogen repletion rate compared to higher carbohydrate levels with moderate to lower
Another benefit is that acetate was found to assist with glycogen repletion of muscle cells.
Remember with endurance horses, the timing of feeding and what is fed matters
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It’s essential to know the amounts of nutrients in the whole diet for your endurance horse. Photo Sue Crockett
If any fat escapes digestion in the small intestine and moves into the hindgut, it can negatively affect hindgut function by reducing the number of microbes, hence, compromise fibre fermentation. Studies differ in their conclusions about how much is too much but horses with rapid small intestinal transport times are more vulnerable. Oil can suppress magnesium absorption by forming insoluble salts if it escapes to the large intestine, carrying bound magnesium with it. In one study, a high fat intake in foals was found to cause lower bone density/bone mineral content. No study has been able to show that a high fat intake will enhance performance. To avoid fatigue, the best approach is to feed a high soluble fibre, moderate carbohydrate, low fat (omega-3 fatty acids) diet. To help replenish glycogen muscles stores, feed a high starch feed like oats combined with a high soluble fibre feed immediately after a workout session. The timing of feeding and what is fed matters. MINERALS
The major minerals are calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), potassium (K) and chloride (Cl). The trace minerals are iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), manganese (Mn), selenium (Se) and iodine (I). All are equally important but trace minerals are needed in very small amounts. Every cell in the body is like a tiny battery dependent on minerals to function. Minerals determine water balance and for every enzymatic reaction. Magnesium alone is essential for over 300 enzyme reactions in the body and deficiency implicated in a host of health problems.
fat levels. The combination of high fibre, moderate carbohydrate and low fat was not examined making the study limited in its findings. The disadvantage with high grain intakes is the increased risk of laminitis and low fibre associated health issues such as increased risk of colic and poor behaviours and stress.
the anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids are heat sensitive and mostly destroyed when grass is cured into hay. Anything fed out of a bag has little omega-3 fatty acids as they are so fragile. To make up the loss of omega-3s the only sources with a similar ratio to grass is linseeds/flaxseed and to a slightly lesser extent, chia seeds.
FAT AND OIL
If you want a fat horse, feed fat though the extra weight is a disadvantage for an equine athlete. Excess energy or calories are stored either as glycogen or as adipose fat; however there is a limit on the available storage for glycogen. Once that limit is reached, carbohydrates are converted and stored as fat. The conversion process for turning carbohydrates into fat is far less efficient for storing excess fat into body fat. Furthermore, the horse is very efficient at absorbing fat from the diet, considered a reflection of the low amount in the natural diet.
The horse’s natural diet of vegetation/ grass is low in fat (no more than 6% and usually less that 4%). Grass has an essential anti-inflammatory omega-3 to inflammatory omega-6 fatty acid ratio of 4:1 or higher, and can be as high as 20:1. Most omega fatty acid products on the market have the reverse ratio or contain next to no omega-3 fatty acids. There is no dietary requirement for fat as the body can convert nutrients from one form to another, with the exception of a few nutrients which are essential. Unfortunately 60
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Most are absorbed in the small intestine and hindgut with some in the stomach, both actively or passively. In active transport, mineral chutes actively uptake minerals. Passive absorption is where minerals move along a concentration gradient from the gut, via gap junctions, into the intestinal lining and then the blood supply. Minerals do compete with one another, for example, copper and zinc. The NRC recommends the optimum ratio to be 1:4, copper to zinc, though many nutritionists consider 1:3 to be superior due to the potential of sulfur to interact with copper. Sulfur can create precipitates of sulfates and sulfides and thus prevent absorption. In a study on growing foals, excessive zinc, iron and cadmium intakes without also increasing copper intake caused copper deficiency symptoms of joint swelling, lameness, joint effusions and cartilage defects. A high calcium intake compared to phosphorus has been shown to depress the absorption of phosphorus and vice versa. Lucerne hay should never be the main forage for this reason; it’s impossible to balance the high calcium to phosphorus ratio. However, a small amount of lucerne can be very useful when there is a deficit of protein or calcium in the diet, for example,
oxalate pastures. Low calcium compared to phosphorus can depress calcium uptake and lead to ‘big head’ (Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyroidism), a deformity of the facial bones among other symptoms. The phrase ‘mineral balance’ is used a lot in the horse industry. It may be written in big letters on a bagged feed or mineral supplement product but no matter how well the minerals are balanced, it can’t balance the rest of the diet. A bagged feed or a one size fits all mineral product in a tin is only a small part of the diet; most of a horse’s nutrition comes from pasture or hay. If the bulk of the intake is not balanced, neither is the whole diet. ELECTROLYTES
Electrolytes are unbound (not attached to a protein), ionised (charged, +ve, -ve) minerals. When we talk about electrolytes, we usually mean: sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), potassium (K), bicarbonate (HCO3) and calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg). Electrolytes are very important and are utilised in many different ways by the body, such as the production and secretion of sweat, saliva, intestinal tract fluid, urine and mucus, hydration, heart contraction, involuntary/smooth (intestinal tract amongst others) and voluntary (skeletal) muscle contractions, nerve function. There are many, many others.
unknown, two tablespoons of salt should be supplemented per day and double that for horses in hot/humid environments to contribute to sweat losses. All forages are a rich source of potassium so never needs supplementing for maintenance needs. If the workout is less than two hours plain table salt is all your horse needs as potassium is high in grass and hay. However sweating for more than two hours can cause a deficiency in potassium. Any excess in electrolytes is easily and efficiently excreted via the kidneys including potassium. VITAMINS
There are two types of vitamins – fat soluble and water soluble. Fat soluble include A, D, E and K. If fat is present at the site of absorption in the intestine, efficiency of absorption ranges from 40 to 90+% and
is highest for vitamin K. All are present in forage and feeds. Water soluble includes the B group (thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, folate, pantothenic acid, cyanocobalamin and pyridoxine) and vitamin C. Many are manufactured by microbes in the gut and all come from the intake. For horses on a high forage diet, the main vitamin to be concerned about is vitamin E, a very important antioxidant. Add the heavy workload of an endurance horse and antioxidants become even more vital. A high level of oxidative stress is to be expected in endurance horses from the mechanical work and having to generate energy. Antioxidants protect the tissues from the damage created by oxygen free radicals. Another important antioxidant is selenium but it’s vital to get supplementation right as too much can be toxic, if not deadly. On the other hand selenium should not be
Your equine athlete needs to be fed an optimised, mineral balanced diet. Photo Sue Crockett
When a vet pinches the skin to form a tent, they are getting an indication of dehydration and at the same time, sodium deficiency. Electrolyte levels in the blood are tightly regulated by hormones. A horse’s internal systems will do everything to avoid the concentrations of electrolytes changing in the blood. If sodium is low, the body will draw the sodium ions from the extracellular spaces (outside the cells) and you get that tented look on a sodium deficient horse. After a workout, if the horse is sodium deficient (standard for a horse in heavy work from sweating) then sodium will be drawn out of the skeleton to maintain that all important concentration in the bloodstream and this is likely to occur for two to three days depending on the electrolyte sources such as grass/hay/feed and salt added to a meal. The horse will urinate less and conserve sodium and water to maintain sodium concentration in the blood. To minimise having sodium pulled from the extracellular spaces and bones then it is very important to replenish electrolytes. Sodium is involved in many, many cellular processes including muscle contraction and the movement of glucose into cells where it becomes metabolised in the mitochondria to produce energy. If sodium is deficient, there will be less available for muscle cells. As little as 2 to 3% dehydration can lead to a 10% drop in performance. Many equine diets are low in sodium and usually chloride, forage often provides around 0.2 g of sodium per kilogram where the requirement is almost 2 g/kg. If the sodium and chloride levels in the diet are ENDURANCE AUSTRALIA
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Add the heavy workload of an endurance horse and antioxidants become vital. Photo Sue Crockett
ignored, as muscle soreness can be a sign of a selenium deficiency. Grass and hay grown on acidic to neutral soils are known to be deficient in selenium for horses. Soil conditions, especially pH influence plant uptake of selenium. Poor hoof growth, horn brittleness, inflammation, prevalence of infections like seedy toe, a weak immune system, poor fertility, tendon/ligament/joint/bone/muscle/ nerve problems and a sun-bleached coat can all have a nutritional component. For some horse owners, any of these may be taken as the “norm”, the way their horse has always been. Any of these signs can indicate that a horse’s intake either does not contain sufficient amounts of all the nutrients, or one or more minerals are blocking or competing with the absorption of another, creating what is known as a secondary deficiency. Getting the balance right is just as important as having sufficient amounts. When a horse has a dietary deficiency or imbalance, it very often will show up in the feet and/or coat first. This is because the horse’s body will conserve nutrients for more critical tissues like heart, brain, organs, and muscle if there is a nutrient shortage. 62
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*Carol Layton B.Sc M.Ed, Balanced Equine www.balancedequine.com.au Independent feeding advice and optimised, mineral balanced diets for horses. Carol is a keen endurance rider with a passion for equine nutrition, training and management. Her horse, Omani Mr Sqiggle was the 2009 National Points and Distance horse for her weight division. Together they have completed the 400 kilometre marathon, Shahzada three times and many 80 and 160 kilometre State Championship and Tom Quilty rides along with numerous best conditioned awards.
Hay can be sent to a laboratory for testing
Domestication invariably imposes an intermittent controlled feeding regime.
Gastric Ulcer Syndrome IN PERFORMANCE HORSES Written by Jo Hamilton-Branigan BSc (Hons) BVSc (Hons)
I
n recent years it has become apparent that Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) occurs much more frequently than originally thought in both performance and non-performance horses populations. Although diagnosis can be somewhat problematic if just relying on physical symptoms. The prevalence of EGUS varies with breed, use and level of training.
endurance horses. The first in the off season showed occurrence to be 45%; while the second in the height of the competitive season 2–3 days post event – 90/160km – demonstrated a significant increase to 93%. The further the horse had travelled the worse the gastric score.
In performance horses the prevalence has been estimated to be between 50–90% depending on the population studied and the type of athletic activity the horse is partaking. Previous studies estimated a high incidence in racing Thoroughbreds (90%) followed by endurance horses (70%) and show horses (60%). In recent times studies of high-level endurance horses have revealed gastric ulcer occurrence comparable to that of racing Thoroughbreds.
When we look at equine anatomy and physiology it is easy to understand why gastric ulcers are commonplace. Horses have a relatively small stomach for their size and cannot handle large quantities of food at any one time. In a 400–500kg horse, the volume of the stomach is approximately 5–7 litres (roughly the size of a football). Horses are continuous grazers designed to eat small portions frequently and in a natural grazing situation require a steady, continuous flow of gastric acid for digestion. Under normal conditions a horse can produce anywhere from 20–80 litres daily. Saliva is
Researchers performed two gastroscopic examinations on the same group of 30 64
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WHY ARE HORSES PRONE TO EGUS?
high in potassium and bicarbonate, as well as mucus, all of which helps to buffer the acidity of the stomach.
ANATOMY OF THE EQUINE STOMACH There are two quite distinct regions in a horse’s stomach. The oesophagus enters via the cardiac sphincter into the “top portion” of the stomach. The top portion is largely muscular and responsible for mixing the stomach contents. This region is lined by thin non-glandular squamous cells and does not have much protection from the stomach acid. The non-glandular top portion is the area most commonly affected by ulcers, equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD). The “bottom portion” is lined by glandular mucosa, which secretes digestive enzymes, hydrochloric acid, pepsinogen, gastric lipase, gastrin, histamine, somatostatin. Additionally, mucus and bicarbonate are
produced and have an important role protecting mucosa from self-digestion and autolysis. Despite this region being exposed to acid on a frequent basis ulcers are not as common. Ulcers which form in this area are referred to as equine glandular gastric disease eg. EGGD. When ulcers occur in this area it has been believed to be due to chronic use of NSAIDs medications, eg. phenylbutazone. The exact mechanism/s leading to EGGD is often unclear.
Contraction of the stomach during exercise can also result in “acid splash”. Photo Sue Crockett
CLASSIFICATION OF ULCERS BY A PANEL SELECTED BY THE EUROPEAN COLLEGE OF EQUINE INTERNAL MEDICINE* Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome is the broad classification of all equine gastric ulcer disease. Ulcers then are classified and described based on their location and severity.1 reduced feed intake and lower stomach content. The effect of movement on an empty stomach is to homogenise the gastric acid and result in lower, more acidic pH coming into contact with the non-glandular portion of the stomach. Contraction of the stomach during exercise can also result in “acid splash” from the glandular portion to the upper squamous section causing “acid injury”. If exercise continues for extended periods of time the risk increases.
CONVENTIONAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND STRATEGIES CAN ALSO CONTRIBUTE OR PREDISPOSE HORSES TO EGUS MAN-MADE (CONTROLLED) ENVIRONMENT
Equine stomach regions. Artwork by Samantha J Elmhurst/Living Art
A) EQUINE SQUAMOUS GASTRIC DISEASE
Primary disease – the most common and occurs in horses with otherwise normal gastric tracts. Secondary disease – due to delayed emptying secondary to other disease eg. pyloric stenosis. B) EQUINE GLANDULAR GASTRIC DISEASE
Because the cause of glandular disease is often unclear, these ulcers are unable to be further differentiated with regard to underlying cause. As a result they are classified based on location ie. cardia, fundus, antrum or pylorus and the severity or gross appearance of the lesion.
NORMAL PH OF THE EQUINE STOMACH Normally when there is food in the stomach there is a pH gradient from the entry to the exit. The pH of the stomach just below the oesophageal entry shows a near neutral
pH of 7, whereas ventrally it becomes more acidic reaching a pH of 3.0–6.0 at the junction of the non-glandular and glandular portions. In the ventral stomach near the pyloric sphincter (exit) it can range from pH 1.0–4.0. If a horse is fasted for 24 hours this gradient tends to disappear and the pH is more acidic than if the horse has access to hay at all times. Different food types affect the pH of the stomach differently. Lucerne (alfalfa) is protective being very alkaline, grass hay less so, while grains tend to be quite acidic. Gastric acid secretion may be influenced by circadian rhythm with pH likely to be more acidic in the early hours of the morning when stomach fill tends to be lower.
EXERCISE AND GASTRIC PH Exercising horses experience increased abdominal pressures in combination with
Horses grazing good quality pasture normally don’t have problems with gastric ulcers. Region, management and circumstance influences ulcer occurrence. For example some broodmares with new foals can suffer ulcers when at pasture. Intermittent vs. Continuous – Under natural conditions the equine digestive system is designed to operate continuously. Domestication invariably imposes an intermittent controlled feeding regime with stabled horses being fed twice daily and confined with limited access to pasture. Diet – starch content – Grain based diets that are high starch – low forage are typically ingested quickly, with less saliva and fermented quickly by the resident microflora. This can result in the rapid production of VFAs (Volatile Fatty Acids) and a lower (acidic) pH (<4). Young horses (<5 yrs) are documented
*European College of Equine Internal Medicine Consensus Statement – Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome (EGUS) in adult horses. Sykes B.W., Hewetson, M., Hepburn, R.J. Luthersson, N & Tamzali Y. 2015 Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine. 29(5) pp 1288-1299. 1. Sykes et al (2015).
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Horses are typically herd animals and don’t usually take kindly to isolation.
as particularly at risk. Grain also results in increased levels of the hormone gastrin (which stimulates gastric acid production) when compared to a high forage diet and this persists after the stomach empties. DIET – FORAGE TYPES
German researchers found that feeding lucerne hay with grain, compared to feeding grassy hay without grain had a protective effect. Lucerne contains natural calcium and magnesium buffers (naturally alkaline), mucilage and soap-like compounds which aids protection of the upper gastric area. It also stimulates chewing and saliva secretion more effectively than grass or cereal forage. If straw was used as the sole source of forage the risk of squamous ulcers increased >4 fold. Be careful of using solely cereal and pasture hay in the absence of fresh pasture. PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS
Horses are typically herd animals and they don’t take kindly to isolation. At competitions there is often a total change in their psychological situation. The lack of exposure to other horses (their friends or indeed ANY horse) and absence of normal environment can induce stress. TRANSPORT
Transport often involves long periods without eating or even getting their head down. Some horses travel badly by themselves. WATER
Inadequate water provision has been shown to increase the risk of ulcers.
HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOUR HORSE HAS ULCERS? SUBCLINICAL AND CLINICAL SIGNS
It is common for endurance horses with “subclinical” gastric ulcers to present as 66
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horses exhibiting poor performance or viewed as having “trained off” ie. poor appetite, loss of weight, suboptimal coat, failure to thrive and just general attitude changes, loss of enthusiasm and reluctance to train. Horses may become more sensitive to the girth and be predisposed to loose manure. Although loose manure is not accepted as being specifically diagnostic, it potentially signifies anxiety. Some horses may not exhibit much in the way of clinical signs at all and according to one study geldings less likely than mares. Clinical signs in more advanced cases of ulceration include more obvious pain in the sternal area, bruxism – teeth grinding which is indicative of pain, yawning and even walking backwards ie. moving away from the pain, more severe cases appear to have a mincing, tentative gait ie. “walking on eggshells”. Initially when a horse is fed, he or she may appear hungry and be enthusiastic about eating until the food reaches the stomach. An affected horse may have a couple of mouthfuls, react painfully and walk away. Intermittent low-grade abdominal discomfort (colic) may also be a presenting clinical sign.
DIAGNOSING ULCERS The recommended method to definitively diagnose ulcers is via gastroscopy. This involves firstly fasting a horse, then sedation and the placement of a three metre gastroscope / endoscope up the nostril, down the oesophagus and into the stomach. It is important to visualise the pyloric region of the stomach during a routine examination. If scoping is not an option, in consultation with your veterinarian, horses are placed on a course of ulcer treatment and the response is monitored. This is less exact but often is diagnostic.
TREATMENT OPTIONS If your horse is diagnosed with ulcers, there are a number of treatment options to consider. Most often in performance horses we are dealing with non-glandular equine ulcers. Antacids are often used in humans but are not as effective for treatment in horses because of their short duration of action. Ranitidine & Cimetidine – Histamine (type 2 receptor) blockers such as ranitidine (Ulcerguard and Zantac) and cimetidine (Tagamet) have been used to block acid production. However histamine is only one of several stimuli for acid production, so stomach acidity can still be quite high on this medication. Omeprazole – Currently the most common and effective treatment of choice is omeprazole. It is available as an oral paste and used to treat both nonglandular and glandular gastric ulcers. Esomeprazole is the s-enantiomer (molecular mirror image) of omeprazole and is available via Compounding Laboratory Bova. It has similar properties to omeprazole but whether there is any advantage using this version of the molecule remains to be proven. It is the equivalent of the human drug Nexium; where omeprazole equals Losec. TREATING WITH OMEPRAZOLE
Omeprazole is a substituted benzimidazole (an acid pump inhibitor PPI) that blocks acid secretion completely at the gastric parietal cell level. How many cells it actually switches off is dose dependant. Omeprazole has been shown clinically and experimentally to prevent ulceration and cure ulceration in horses in race and show training. Gastric acid has the potential to degrade omeprazole before it has the chance to
antacids and mucilage components, with supportive dietary elements such as long chain carbohydrates and precursor proteins. While these products may be helpful they are regarded as being quite variable in their effectiveness with regard to prevention or treatment of EGUS. A mucilage is an edible complex glutinous carbohydrate secreted by certain plants. It is used in medicine as it relieves irritation of mucous membranes by forming a protective film and is a major component of proprietary preparations.
Horses are continuous grazers designed to eat small portions frequently, and in a natural grazing situation require a steady, continuous flow of gastric acid for digestion.
be absorbed by the small intestine. To prevent this there are currently two different formulations of omeprazole available in Australia – ie. buffered paste and entericcoated granules in paste. Studies have confirmed that both preparations work similarly well and that there is not a significant difference in uptake. It is also recommended that in the performance horse, omeprazole should ideally be administered first thing in the morning and prior to training to maximise its absorption and efficacy. Omeprazole is marketed in Australia for treatment of both squamous (ESGD) and glandular (EGGD) and commonly available as: ORAL BUFFERED PASTE PRODUCTS
Ulcershield (Randlab) – 370mg/g. Ulcershield is an omeprazole buffered powder paste formulation. Treatment involves 21–28 days at 4mg/kg ie. 1mL/100kg (5mL once daily dose for 500kg horse), although there is usually significant improvement much earlier and a dose of 1mg/kg (1mL per 500kg) prevents recurrence of ulcers. Other 370mg/g oral paste products registered in Australia include Gastroshield aka Gastrogard in the US (Merial), Omoguard (Ceva, Animal Health) and Ulcergold (FERRARI Animal Health). ENTERIC-COATED OMEPRAZOLE PRODUCTS
Gastropell (Randlab) – 50mg/mL. Gastropell is an enteric-coated omeprazole paste formulation. Treatment involves 10mL per 500kg bodyweight (2mL/100kg) eg 1.1mg/ kg daily while horses remain in training, with a preventative dose of 5mL per 500kg ongoing. Gastrozol – 50mg/mL Virbac Animal Health. Gastrozol is an enteric-coated omeprazole paste formulation. Same treatment regime as Gastropell 50mg/mL.
Note: Gastropell Forte 100mg/mL (Randlab) i.e. double strength Gastropell, has just been re-registered in Australia after a slight change in formulation. The treatment dose of omeprazole for glandular (EGGD) and squamous (ESGD) is identical. In the case of EGGD other medications are generally used concurrently eg. Sucralfate, Misoprostol (used in the prevention of NSAID induced ulcers) and sulphur (TMPS) antibiotics. Sucralfate (sucrose octasulphate) is also useful as an aid to treating EGUS, particularly ESGD. It is a non-absorbed aluminium salt of sucrose. When in an acid environment like the stomach, it becomes a thick, viscous compound that adheres to the epithelial cells and to the base of the ulcer craters for up to six hours and protects it from further acid damage. It comes in a tablet form marketed as Carafate. The dose suggested for sucralfate is 12–20mg/kg orally twice daily in conjunction with omeprazole.
PROMOTION AND OPTIMISATION OF GIT HEALTH The management of gastric ulcers with veterinary preparations might be viewed as costly with regard to ongoing maintenance. Consider it may also not be ideal to keep your performance horse on gastric ulcer medication ad infinitum. It might be wise to consider a combination of management strategies – physical, psychological, environmental and dietary support. On investigation there is quite an array of commercial preparations, gut conditioners and alternative therapies, which can help support gastric health. COMMONLY USED COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE PRODUCT IN AUSTRALIA
The products listed below are marketed as supportive of normal GIT function. They contain a variety of ingredients designed to promote gastric health – high in
Gastroaid Digestive and Gastroaid Stabilise (also referred to/marketed as Egusin SLH & Egusin 250) (Kelato Animal Health). A pectin-lecithin complex given in feed whereby the lecithin forms a hydrophobic protective layer and pectin stabilises the mucus of the stomach and increases the pH. GNF (Gut Nutrition Formula), a product designed to promote and enhance normal GIT function, contains a prebiotic which supports the micro bacteria in the hindgut, enabling absorption of nutrients and improving condition in the form of fructooligosaccharides. It also combines antacids (Calcium Carbonate and Magnesium Hydroxide) with protective ingredients mucilage (in the form of slippery elm and seaweed gel ie. sodium alginate) and kaolin (basic ingredient of PeptoBismol). As well it contains selected proteins (glutamine and threonine) which are supportive of normal GIT function. Gastro Coat (Kohnke’s) is marketed as a protective supplement. It contains 13% whey powder, 95% psyllium husk, debittered dried yeast and vanilla milk flavouring. It contains natural mucilage compounds that assist in saliva maintain normal physiological and optimal digestive conditions within the stomach and upper GIT. Neigh-Lox (KER) is an antacid. Neigh-Lox aids in the reduction of excess gastric acid in horses and foals caused by high grain intakes. Neigh-Lox ingredients include ground wheat, steamrolled oats, dihydroxyaluminium sodium carbonate (DASC), aluminium phosphate, soybean oil, dicalcium phosphate and calcium carbonate.
THE LISTS BELOW HELP EXPLAIN SOME OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE PROPRIETARY PRODUCTS AVAILABLE FOR EQUINE GASTRO-INTESTINAL SUPPORT Mucus support: Other foods that aid repair, protect or stimulate mucus production include: Vitamin E, honey, bananas (unripe are better), licorice, capsaicin (component of chilli, though this is on the banned drug list these days), omega-3 oils (freshly ground flax seed or rice bran), dried cabbage (full of L-glutamine) and pumpkin seeds aka pepitas (high in nitric oxide, a powerful antioxidant). Although supplementing with many of these products is not very well documented and largely anecdotal. ENDURANCE AUSTRALIA
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Added dietary mucilage: Examples of plants which are excellent mucilage sources which have been used for this purpose are – aloe vera, psyllium husks, slippery elm, seaweed gel (sodium alginate) and banana. Other sources include – cactus, Irish moss, jute, Chinese yam, fenugreek, flax seeds, kelp, liquorice root, marshmallow, mallow, okra, butterwort, chia seeds.
of complex carbohydrates / fibre-based food in the diet, especially when travelling, confined and at events. High fibre/low GI foods such as Maxisoy, Speedibeet and Copra are useful in this regard.
EGUS AND ENDURANCE EVENTS
The temperament of your horse is important. Ideally your horse is calm, relaxed, travels well, eats well, drinks well and is extremely adaptable. A horse that is highly strung or has anxiety issues may be challenging in this regard.
Endurance horses with EGUS related issues (subsequently diagnosed) often experience invasive treatment for metabolic issues/GIT related pain, particularly at the conclusion of the event when hydration and fasting exacerbates GIT/ulcer issues. In the past, it wasn’t uncommon for horses to have their careers cut short by “hard to manage GIT problems” ie. high unexplainable HRs / discomfort post-ride. In the last decade with the availability of medications, particularly omeprazole and a better understanding of management, quite a few of these problem horses have been transformed to successful competitors. Awareness has certainly improved in this regard and more competitors are managing potential EGUS with therapeutics and preventative strategies.
GENERAL MANAGEMENT Good, sound management is the key to optimal gut health. Where possible provide the horse with a good size paddock, quality pasture and company. It is important to keep in mind that horses are designed to have small, frequent meals, so free choice pasture or hay is high priority. Good quality forage is important. Lucerne is a super food choice at competitions in this regard as it is a particularly alkaline food source and useful as lucerne chaff or hay. Try to reduce the amount of grain or concentrate while increasing the proportion
Try to promote a stress free environment. Take into account the psychological stress on the horse – transport, isolation and stabling.
If you don’t have a horse or situation that satisfies these criteria, it is certainly wise to consider management strategies which are supportive and/or preventative. Some horses do well on gut conditioners while others do best on therapeutic preparations. MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES WITH OMEPRAZOLE FOR ENDURANCE HORSES
If your horse is particularly prone to ulcers consult with your veterinarian and form an ongoing strategy to suit. These horses may need to stay on either treatment or maintenance doses when in training and competition. THIS IS WHAT WORKS FOR MY ENDURANCE HORSES
Administer protective dose of omeprazole from the Wednesday prior to the ride weekend (ie. 3–4 days prior to the event) once daily. The dose may vary from “maintenance” to “treatment” depending on your horse. This helps with the travel stress as well. It may be also wise to continue to administer for a few days after the event, until you are satisfied your horse is eating properly.
TIPS:
It takes as little as two hours without food on a float to see gastric mucosal changes and as little as 48 hours to generate significant gastric ulceration. Effective dosing and absorption of omeprazole is key for it to work. Make sure you administer over the tongue with head held high. Both the enteric coated and the buffered formulations are highly effective if given at the full treatment dose. Consider: n Omeprazole is BEST absorbed on an empty stomach; administer 20 minutes before a meal/food is consumed. n Omeprazole is BEST given at least 30 minutes prior to exercise (to give it time to work). n To prevent acid splash it is ideal to time a small feed prior to exercise and after omeprazole administration. In competition: Give the FULL TREATMENT DOSE for horses experiencing increased stress and high intensity exercise. Give the LOWER MAINTENANCE DOSE for horses exercised at low intensity or in a low stress situation. Possible strategy prior to high intensity exercise/endurance competition: 1. Provide good quality lucerne based feed/hay the evening prior. 2. Consider dosing with OMEPRAZOLE 1–1 1/2 hours before ride start (best on an empty stomach). 3. Then small lucerne feed 20 minutes later – 45 minutes to 1 hour prior to start.
§ While electrolytes won’t cause ulcers they certainly can exacerbate and cause the horse discomfort if you administer them on an empty stomach with ulcers.
4. Then saddle up 30 minutes prior to start of event.
§ C onsider apple sauce, yoghurt or Mylanta or using pre-mixed buffered electrolyte mixes/syringes in competition.
5. You may wish to give a dose of electrolytes after saddling up prior to leaving. Adjust according to your routine.
§ The FEI has allowed the usage of gastric ulcer medications omeprazole and ranitidine before and during competitions since 2000. Likewise AERA and affiliates allow the usage of ulcer medications. § Unlike some other medications, you do not currently have to complete a form to declare your horse is on anti-ulcer medication. § When selecting a horse for competition temperament should be a major consideration. You want a least-fuss horse that eats, drinks, relaxes and travels well. Select a horse that is not prone to anxiety. § Make sure there is food in the horse’s stomach before competition. Providing lucerne or grassy lucerne hay overnight before a competition is a good management practice because as well as providing an alkaline pH it provides good gut fill, water reserve and helps to ameliorate acid splash in the stomach.
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KEY POINTS
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Over time it is becoming evident that the buffered omeprazole (370 mg/g) at a dose of 4mg/kg is the most efficacious, safe and practical once daily treatment. Enteric coated formulations (50mg/g) at a dose rate of 1mg/kg (nearly a quarter the strength compared to the buffered) stand to lose their full dose efficacy if administration is poor. Long term treatment has also been shown to be safe.
Sue Crockett Photography
M: 0418 309 592 | E: mail@suecrockettphotography.com W: www.suecrockettphotography.com | Facebook: Sue Crockett Photography Based in South East Queensland and available for private shoots
Complementary Therapies
EQUINE BODY WORK AND SPORTS MASSAGE This type of hands-on application involves treating the entire horse and not just the problem areas. The handson therapy influences improvement in the horse’s body and gait/movement via soft tissue release and generally covers approximately 160 anatomically referenced points. Stretching and other in-hand or under saddle exercise regimes are often encouraged to owners/trainers to solidify changes made during the session. Most sessions will begin with the therapist taking static (postural) and dynamic (moving) observations prior to working on the musculoskeletal system of the horse, as well as discussing any performance issues or goals, reasons for the session and any desired outcomes. Horses generally really enjoy the application of the all-over massage and the benefits are varied which include increase in their range of motion, freer stride, healthier muscles and a much happier horse.
BOWEN THERAPY
WRITTEN BY MELISSA LONGHURST EEBW www.equinebodybalance.com.au
Whatever equestrian activity your horse does, regular maintenance work by a qualified professional can make all the difference in his performance
E
ndurance horses are athletes and they feel the strain from exercise and fatigue. Horses are approximately 60 percent muscle and if one of these muscles aren’t working in the way it was designed, then others need to pick up the slack where possible or fatigue and loss of function and ability will inhibit performance. A good therapist will become an integral part of your horse’s health care team and should be able to stave off major injury or muscular dysfunction, resulting in a longer and fruitful career for your equine partner. Massage, Bowen Therapy, Laser Therapy and other complementary or alternative therapies are a growing industry thanks to many compassionate and well-intentioned owners and riders. Most of these alternative hands-on therapies complement any veterinary work and in some cases may even be the catalyst for repair, and, or return to performance for some horses. When looking to engage the services of an alternative health therapist, be mindful that while human and equine therapies have some similarities, there is significant difference between biped and quadruped
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anatomy and the biomechanical influences of their individual bodies. In most cases one therapy cannot simply be transferred over from human to equine. Ensure the therapist you are considering to engage has appropriate training in their academic field as this will ensure both professionalism and safety of your horse. If concerned, ask your veterinarian for a referral to a therapist or ask the intended therapist about his or her training and qualification standard. Are they adequately insured? Are they part of a professional association or body? If required, do they refer back to a veterinarian or other health care provider if they have concerns or are unable to work a satisfactory solution? No complementary therapist is allowed to diagnose or treat an animal, this is the role of the veterinarian only and so with this in mind, a veterinarian must be consulted at times to ensure accuracy in any diagnosis. The career trained therapist or alternative practitioner will ensure a safe and caring approach and appreciate any diagnosis from your veterinarian to aid gaining the best outcome for your horse.
Tom Bowen perfected and taught this gentle and non-invasive therapy initially used on humans and then successfully transposed the moves to accommodate horses and other quadruped animals. A Bowen treatment will target pain and inflammation reduction, increase in the range of motion and an increase to the lymphatic and immune systems that encourage the body’s self healing, relaxation, and is a very popular modality for both horses and humans alike. Many good therapists treat both horse and rider, which can have a positive influence on performance. Bowen therapy addresses muscles, tendons and ligaments as well as nerves and connective tissues (fascia) and has an influence on the body’s energy and meridian systems. The treating practitioner will utilise his or her fingers and thumbs to apply a series of moves, essentially taking up the slack of the skin to the edge of the tension against the muscle or tendon, then release and allow to flow back to the original position. Bowen moves are applied at various placements of the body, generally at the end or start of a muscle, or where the muscle may overlap. A therapist’s key focus during a treatment is to restore symmetry to the body by influencing the nervous system. Just to explain more clearly: this involves searching the muscles which have a relationship to the dura mater of the spinal column for tension and releasing with the Bowen move. This has a major impact on achieving balance to the body.
EQUINE CHIROPRACTIC Chiropractic adjustments aim to restore and correctly align the body to its optimal state, regaining proper joint motion and eradicate
The author, Melissa Longhurst, riding her homebred Arabian gelding Pioneer Park Wings of Sudan
An example of Equine Body Work
Red Light Therapy
Using the Masterson Method
An example of Kinesio Taping
Kinesio Taping is an excellent addition to any training or competition program
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stress on associated nearby structures and tissues of the body. Following an assessment, most chiropractic procedures are applied by a gently controlled specific movement via hand/s to the joints involved and occasionally the use of an adjustment tool may be required. All manipulations are gentle and should be without force, yanking or jerking of the limbs. As this should be a gentle manipulation, sedation should generally not be required or advised. Dramatic movements that potentially manipulate the horse’s limbs beyond any normal and reasonable limits of range of motion should be avoided, as these can be detrimental to the long-term wellbeing of your horse. Australia lags behind America and European countries that mandate adequate university training and registration prior to legally being allowed to treat animals, however, there is an Australian Veterinary Chiropractic Association that requires affiliates to have completed their Graduate Diploma in Animal Chiropractic following either a veterinary or chiropractic degree.
LOW-LEVEL LIGHT THERAPY Low-level light therapy is also known as photonic light. Red light therapy is based on red and infrared light to permeate into the body to activate healing and repair of damaged tissues. This particular therapy is applied by a hand-held infrared torch, or via pad or wrap form that can house a combination of lights in one application. The most effective application of the combination lights have been found using the 660nm red light and 830nm infrared wave length lights to stimulate circulation and regeneration of cells and promote healing. Cementing the validity of lights for a therapy, their use is supported by NASA
Marshall Space Flight Centre as an aid for astronauts to promote healing and regeneration of tissue growth. While horses are not astronauts, the application has been successfully transferred to horses and other animals with the light omitting diodes being extremely beneficial for open wounds and diagnosed soft tissue injuries, including tendons and ligaments. It is probably one of the safest hands-on therapy and totally non-invasive. The low-level light therapy pads or wraps can be very versatile and have no known or recorded negative side effects.
CRANIOSACRAL
ACUPUNCTURE
Using exact finger pressure of no more than ten grams, accurate target structure visualisation, and lesion pattern assessments, craniosacral work helps to optimise the flow and rhythm of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) through the proximity of the Reciprocal Tension Membrane (RTM) which is a system of membranous partitions inside the head, to the respiratory, circulatory and locomotors centres of the central nervous system (CNS). Craniosacral techniques can have profound and widespread effects on peripheral circulation and general wellbeing.
This is a time honoured ‘medicine’ originating from China approximately 2,000 years ago, making it one of the oldest health care or therapy applications known to man. Acupuncture can be a very effective and instant therapy when applied correctly by a trained and knowledgeable therapist, doctor or veterinarian. The application consists of ultra fine sterile needles to specific soft tissue sites of the body to allow a release of a muscle held tight in contraction, or along the body’s meridian line to clear any energy blockages. The precision for selecting and inserting the needle to the correct point required for treatment, combined with adequate length of time the needle is left inserted are factors determining a successful outcome when being treated with acupuncture. Once the point to be needled has been selected and the needle inserted, the needle may be left in place for up to 30 minutes with the occasional gentle swirling of the needle prior to it either falling out or being removed. These needles are very small and the application swift so they are only generally felt as a tiny prick as they penetrate the horse’s skin.
A new therapy for Australian horses but highly effective. This very gentle handson application makes use of light touch or pressure at pressure points that are focused on the horse’s central nervous system; focusing on the skull, sacrum and connecting spinal column. Craniosacral therapy is a holistic therapy and has its origins in osteopathy and is based on the principle the body has everything it needs to heal itself. The craniosacral practitioner facilitates this process.
KINESIO TAPING Kinesio taping has been used successfully on the human athlete for many years and successfully used for training, in prevention and also rehabilitation practices. During the 2012 Summer Olympics, the benefits of taping became evident and its use as a mainstream modality was launched thanks to the worldwide exposure it gained. Today, taping is used by both human and equine athletes as well by health care professionals. When applied correctly, the tape will allow or enable a full range of motion, which enables the horse to continue or recommence their work or training program. One of the applications of the tape is that
Endurance horses feel the strain from exercise and fatigue. Photo Sue Crockett
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it will decompress the tissue and lifts the skin allowing increased blood and lymph circulation that will aid the horse’s natural healing ability. Depending on the method used and placement in regards to muscular function, the support and benefits are varied and may include muscle assist, muscle relax (for tight muscle held in contraction), lymphatic drainage, inflammation reduction, spinal concerns as a few examples. However, with taping it really is important that the therapist applying the tape has a good understanding of anatomy and muscular arrangement as muscular dysfunction can just as easily be encouraged by an incorrect tape placement. Taping is an excellent addition to any training or competition program as it can be safely applied under tack.
MYOFASCIA RELEASE Myofascia release, sometimes referred to as MFR, is unique therapy that focuses nearly solely on releasing muscular shortness and/or tightness by working on the fascial network within the horse’s body. Fascia is an ultra thin layer (think of cling-wrap) yet strong connective tissue that surrounds the muscles and tendons and bones to support and facilitate movement within the body. Fascia is not unique to horses; myofascia release is also a popular modality for humans as well with the application for both being very similar.
Using hands and light touch, the practitioner will wait for the tissue to soften under their hands, then take up the slack of the tissue and then be guided by the myofascial connective tissue itself to eliminate pain and restore motion. Just like cling wrap, fascial tissue can become bound or ‘stuck’ in an area of concern such that inflicts restrictive flow of the muscles and tendons. As fascia is connected as a huge big continuous ‘sheet’ within the living body, the myofascia tissue may be puckered or restricted in the hind end, yet affecting movement and/or range of motion in the front end of the horse.
available today, this is more directed by the horse and his response to the touch of the practitioner whom works with the horse rather than on the horse.
MFR is one of my personal favourite techniques to use, especially with nervous or fidgety horses or horses who react to touch, as the hands-on sustained pressure used to facilitate release of the fascia is often soothing and welcomed by the horse.
MAINTENANCE WORK FOR YOUR HORSE
MASTERSON METHOD Masterson Method is a very unique method of equine massage developed by Jim Masterson and only very recently available via a select few practitioners here in Australia. An interactive and integrated form of bodywork, the skilled practitioners recognising the horse’s own body responses to their touch that will source and find and then release any associated tension or restriction via key areas that have an impact on the horse’s movement and performance. Differing to other hands-on modalities
When a Masterson Method practitioner is working on your horse, the touch applied may be very light and the types of subtle responses may range from eye blinking, change in breath, sighing and softening of facial expression. This relays to the practitioner this is an area that the horse is interested in receiving more work or time to stay on a little longer to gain a result.
Having your horse seen on a regular schedule for maintenance work by a qualified professional can make all the difference to his performance and overall health and wellbeing. Not only will a good therapist be taking a vested interest in the muscular system of the horse, but having an independent person cast their eye over your horse may pick up small changes or nuances that you may not see, particularly with biomechanical changes and musculoskeletal wear. However, equine massage or any like therapy is not designed or intended to diagnose, treat or cure illness and is a supplementary care, therefore is not in any way a replacement for adequate veterinary care.
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Why Register My Arabian Endurance HORSE?
Written by Yvonne Downes
If your Arabian mare has been a competitive endurance horse, after her retirement you may want to breed her and register her foals to help carry on her dynasty. Her foals deserve recognition for their bloodlines for future generations of endurance riders and breeders.
W
hy indeed? When I ask this question I get a lot of reasons why I should not register my endurance
horse.
We all know it’s relatively expensive to register horses with any breed society including the Arabian Horse Society of Australia Ltd., (AHSA) plus there is a bit of record keeping and paperwork involved. Nowadays we have necessary DNA testing and there are requirements for testing horses for genetic maladies as well. You must also be a member of the AHSA too. Another added problem can be difficulties with getting the required information from stallion or mare owners or even previous owners of the horse if you are not the breeder – this can turn a lot of people off. The bottom line for most endurance riding people is, ‘What do I get in return for registering my horse?’ Sadly, the general consensus is ‘nothing’. Endurance horses are registered with the Australian Endurance Riders Association Inc., (AERA) regardless of their breed or history but more than 90% 74
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of all successful or reasonably successful endurance horses are purebred Arabians or Arabian Derivatives horses ie. horses derived from pure Arabian bloodlines and those of another breed.
always on the lookout for horses. Horses are observed very carefully at rides and are usually put through a vigorous veterinary check before any financial commitments are made.
If you are only in the endurance scene to make a quick buck while it’s there to be made and have no concerns about the future of the industry, the future of the breed or of little things like your good name, return buyers or future sales – then maybe this doesn’t apply to you.
Currently when looking at selling a horse to overseas buyers, frequently it’s irrelevant whether the horse is AHSA registered or not – but it probably won’t stay that way for long. Now, with increasing Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) regulations and more and more international focus, having an AHSA registered horse may make international sales a lot easier.
If you are any sort of a businessperson with a desire to have a respected name among buyers and sellers and within the industry and the breed itself, then maybe you should consider the following. At the moment there is a fairly steady market for purebreds and Arabian Derivatives with proven bloodlines in endurance that are AERA qualified horses or appear to have the makings of a good endurance prospect. Overseas buyers are coming and going and their agents here are
In today’s advanced technology scene with world standards in DNA, microchipping and other methods of positive identification, any country whose stud book is accepted by the World Arabian Horse Organization (WAHO), as Australia’s has long been, already has a foot in the door in the international scene. The importance of being able to accurately define the purity of bloodlines and traceability of a horse can be of the utmost importance. The complete
history of the horse can be more readily and more accurately traced if the horse is AHSA registered; not only the bloodlines and breeders but also previous owners and places where the horse has lived can be determined through registration and ownership details. Australia and the world are sadly losing the records and bloodlines of a great many Arabian horses when they go overseas without any confirmed breeding details and are lost in a sea of horseflesh moving to and fro, from owner to owner, from country to country in a vague system of buying and selling the best competitive horses. There is a lot of trial and error and some horses with great potential get lost in the sheer numbers and lack of definite identification and breeding history. Bloodlines are important in any sphere of equine competition and endurance riding is no exception. It’s a well-known fact certain bloodlines carry desirable traits and qualities that we would like to preserve, nurture and propagate; traits such as soundness, correct conformation, temperament, trainability, speed, stamina, versatility, bravery, frugality and that indefinable will to keep going and give all for the rider. In fact, Australian horses are held in high esteem as a result of their great heart recoveries. We have been told that we have a treasure trove of bloodlines.
If we want to breed these qualities on or have these traits in the horses we own, we need to know the complete history of the horse and his or her breeding. This is something the AHSA and corresponding worldwide Arabian horse societies have been doing consistently over many years. The information for all registered horses is at your fingertips. Conversely, if there is a bloodline, trait or condition you want to stay away from in your breeding program or horse ownership, an accurate pedigree over several generations can be of great assistance. If you are breeding to or from AHSA registered Arabians, the foals would be eligible for the various futurities. Arabian horse groups and clubs in each state organise their own futurities for yearlings, two-year-olds and sometimes for older youngsters. While you are waiting for your future endurance horse to grow up, he could be winning a sometimes-substantial amount of the prize pool in these futurities. It is also a great way to get the youngster out and about and used to the hustle and bustle of the show scene, so when he goes out to his first few rides he will be more settled and accepting of vet checks and all other goings on. Have you thought about Arabian racing? It’s well established overseas and is fast gaining momentum in Australia. Racing is
well monitored and is only run on registered or accredited racetracks with NARA registered trainers and jockeys etc. Arabian racing is run under the set regulations of the Thoroughbred industry with just a few modifications for Arabians. There is significant prize money up for grabs with some of the sponsorship coming from the same international groups who sponsor endurance. There is a good market for racing bloodlines overseas and many of our endurance horses carry these same lines. To race in Australia all horses must be registered with AHSA. Endurance and Arabian racing tend to complement each other in that they are both sports where the horse is judged on his true merits or achievements – first past the post. Both showcase the Arabian’s speed, stamina and fortitude. Arabians can begin their racing careers as four-year-olds and then move on to endurance riding. They can go on to Arabian racing later on or they can cross from one performance area to the other. While endurance riding is seen as a true family activity with all members of a family able to compete together, as Arabian racing becomes more established it’s also being seen as a family friendly sport as well. Horses can be owner trained and the trusty family horse can become the racing superstar. Both of these sections of the
Derivative Arabians can also be registered with the AHSA Ltd. Pictured is the registered Partbred Arabian Alnotarj Statistic ridden by Phil Coleman. Photo Sharon Meyers
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Arab stallion Aloha Apostrophe competes in Endurance Riding and is registered with the AHSA Ltd, which means his foals are eligible for registration and their bloodlines and breeders will be officially recognised. Photo Sue Crockett
Arabian horse industry are popular with people who may not have an interest in the show ring or other disciplines. If you value your horses, not just as a product or a saleable item but as a true horse lover, you might be concerned about their life after endurance riding. When your horse comes to the end of his endurance career what will happen to him? I am sure most of us don’t want our beloved friends who have given us so much, to become pet food as so many of their Thoroughbred cousins do. A mare may find a future life as a broodmare and if she is registered, her value could be far greater. Other horses may find another life opening up for them as pony club mounts, eventers, showjumpers, show or dressage horses or even as pleasure riding horses. If they are registered with the AHSA their prospects are a lot brighter. Don’t forget the endurance amnesty. It was never closed. The endurance amnesty applies to any horse that is competing or has competed in endurance rides. A copy of the Yellow (not Blue) logbook must be sent with the application for registration. Minimum 76
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registration (ie. under 12 months) fees apply but the paperwork still needs to be correct and any applicable DNA testing will need to be done. The owner needs to be a member of the AHSA as well. If someone has an old broodmare or stallion they are breeding endurance horses from and they can prove this, although it doesn’t actually come under the amnesty, the Board of the AHSA would consider it. If you have any horses that might fit in this category, please talk to the girls in the AHSA office and they will be happy to help you. They can’t always fix mistakes or correct problems created through lack of documentation or perform miracles but they will go out of their way to find solutions to any issues they possibly can and help you with the registration of your endurance Arabian. In the past, there were sometimes penalties or fines if the paperwork was incorrect or incomplete. These days it’s very rare for anyone to get a fine and certainly not for a mistake.
POINTERS FOR REGISTRATION OF ENDURANCE HORSES 1. Accountability for breeders – proof of claimed breeding to be correct 2. Recognition to breeders 3. Recognition of bloodlines 4. Informed breeding of future endurance horses 5. Traceability of horses by previous owners and breeders 6. Validation of horse details and breeding to prospective buyers For further information please contact the Arabian Horse Society of Australia via website: www.ahsa.asn.au phone: (02) 4577 5366
The Arabian Horse Society of Australia Ltd | PO Box 415 | RICHMOND NSW 2753 P 02 4577 5366 E secretary@ahsa.asn.au W www.ahsa.asn.au
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iting wind, sleeting rain, sweltering heat, steep hill climbs, river crossings and the uncertainty of riding unknown tracks in the dark. A six-minute dressage test sounds a lot less challenging. But then it wouldn’t be endurance. Four young girls have recently topped the point scores in their divisions proving age is no barrier to success. Often supported by mentors, they have consistently shown determination to succeed against the odds. One rider ended up in hospital half way through a marathon ride and rode the last day in a sling; another had only learned to ride a few months before completing her first 160km ride. Endurance helped another overcome depression and the youngest rider completed her first 160km event, alone, in horrendous weather conditions while other hardened riders had already thrown in the towel. These riders’ inspirational stories are told with honesty and sincerity. They all have goals and ambitions and they are our endurance champions of the future.
TAHLIA FRANKE Tahlia Franke was brought up in Toowoomba, Queensland. Now 18, she spent her childhood wanting to ride and finally got the chance when she began riding with Jay Randle at Splendacrest in December 2011. “I spent my first few months learning to ride on one of Jay’s well campaigned endurance horses, Splendacrest Ulysses,” Tahlia said. “I didn’t even know what endurance was until Jay introduced me to the sport. I’d never been camping and had no idea what I was getting myself into when I accepted her offer to go to my first ride at Kilkivan. All I remember was that it stormed really badly the night before and during the ride and 40km felt like forever, but from then I was hooked. “I don’t own a horse so just train at Splendacrest and compete for different trainers. I really enjoy this as I get to ride a wide range of horses but it does add another degree of difficulty when I have less than a day to get to know the horse before a ride. I’ve learned how to read different horses and discover what they are capable of and it is great to get to the end of the day having formed a bond with a horse that I didn’t know the day before. Last year, I competed on 15 different horses. “In four seasons I have completed 4,240km of competition. One of my greatest achievements was winning the Junior division of the 2014 Far-A-Way marathon after my horse decided to buck me off on the third day. I was in hospital that night and riding the final day in a sling! Winning the Junior division of the NSW State Championship and Best Conditioned in 2014 was also my qualifying ride. Placing 2nd junior at the Quilty in 2015 was certainly a highlight.
Tahlia Franke and Aphrodite Malakia
Youth No Barrier TO SUCCESS
Written by Jo Arblaster Photos by Animal Focus 78
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“The hardest ride I’ve done would be either the 2014 NSW State Championship or Shahzada. On the second leg of the State Championship, for some reason I went out in just a t-shirt. It was freezing cold and torrential rain was falling as we were walking up a huge hill that felt like a cliff face. It was also my third 160km attempt and all I wanted was to complete. I was so lucky to have an amazing horse, Woomera Thor. He’s a powerhouse and really looked after me. We finished first junior – my qualifying ride to compete at the Quilty. “Shahzada was tough especially as I had only met my horse a few days before. Riding tracks like McKechnie’s and Prestons in the rain, I wondered how we were going to survive with sound horses. The worst part was when my horse fell in the Word of Life river crossing at 4:30 am. My mare went right under and we were both 100% awake after our little swim! Although these two rides may have been the hardest, they were certainly two of my favourites. The tougher the ride, the more rewarding the completion! “Without Jay’s help, I would not have come as far in the sport as I have. She has provided not only the opportunity to ride her horses but also to ride for other trainers. Kate Gadsby and the RA team have also helped me, especially in competition and travelling long distances and achieving results I could only have dreamed of.
Shannon Hill and Burren-dah Narla
“I love marathons and 160km events and my aim is to do as many as I can. I’d like to get more Quilty buckles and do the Tevis and perhaps even ride on the Australian team at a World Championship. One day, I look forward to owning my own horses, training and campaigning them.” Editor’s Note: Tahlia’s long-term goal to compete at the Tevis in the USA was achieved in 2016. Tahlia wrote, “I was offered the chance to ride the beautiful mare M Dash Stellar, owned by Jennifer Waitte (aka Jenn). I was extremely nervous to be making my first trip to America by myself, meeting up with people I had never met, to ride the world’s most famous endurance ride but at the same time I was so extremely excited. “The ride itself was amazing. Jenn, riding her character of a mare M Dash Czoe, was my riding partner and sponsor as a junior rider and we had a great time riding together. The ride was tough, as I had expected, but M Dash Stella was so sensible and knew her job perfectly which meant I had plenty of opportunities to really enjoy the picturesque views and amazing experience that it all was. “I loved experiencing the differences to our normal rides in Australia – particularly in the way vetting was run. The crewing (strapping) was also different and I was so lucky to be part of such an experienced team. Being a point-to-point ride was also a great experience, as I had never done anything like it before. I really loved the added challenges compared to the luxury we have at home of returning back to our camp every leg. M Dash Stella was amazing through the technical tracks, challenging canyons and long, hard, hot climbs. She even looked after me perfectly through my biggest fear of the ride – riding into the dark when I couldn’t depend on my bright headlamp like I am so used to in Australia. I still think the Americans are crazy for riding those tracks without headlamps.
“Unfortunately at 94 miles (just six from the finish) M Dash Stella was pulled for lameness. Although devastated that we were so close, I was so proud of how far she took me and thankful for being given the opportunity to ride such a champion mare, she gave me everything she could. Jenn went on to finish, earning her seventh buckle! As it worked out with our pre-ride being the last few miles of the finish, I ended up seeing basically the whole track and I can’t wait to finish the ride and earn that buckle next year.”
SHANNON HILL When Shannon Hill completed the Big Three (the Quilty, Shahzada and the NSW State Championship) in 2015 it was a huge achievement for the young mother who had only learned to ride the previous October. “Shahzada was an event I’d wanted to participate in before I even learned to ride,” she said. “I had been a spectator twice. It’s a true endurance ride. It’s a long week and the hills are absolutely insane but I loved it!” Endurance running had been a big part of Shannon’s life throughout her teens. “In 2000, I was selected to represent Australia at the World Schools Commonwealth Games for the 1500 metres. I had the privilege of captaining the Australian team and won gold in my event beating the African competitor by 1/100th of a second. “Endurance riding attracted me because it’s very laid back with lovely people who are always willing to help you and I enjoy the long distances and the need to train constantly to prepare and ensure your horse is fit enough for the ride. It requires endless hard work if you are going to succeed and in the process you build a bond with your horse.” ENDURANCE AUSTRALIA
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Shannon, who learned to ride just five months after giving birth to her daughter, Indiana, had always wanted to ride but never had the opportunity until she moved to Burren-dah Stud.
of riding in the bush and the countryside. I didn’t need fancy gear and didn’t have to be the most correct rider. I liked camping and it wasn’t all about speed but management so you didn’t need the fastest horse.
“When I mentioned to my riding instructor, Alice Clarke that my goal was to ride at [the 400km] Shahzada marathon, she replied: ‘How about we focus on getting to an 80km ride first!’”
“Tarnette (Allandell Scarlet x Wyneemah Jataan) was born in 2003 and is 14.1hh with shoes. John Dawson from Jon de Le Arabians kindly offered her to me when I was a Junior as he thought she would suit me.
The horse Shannon rode was 14.2hh Burren-dah Narla (Nitrix x Compadre), a 12-year-old purebred Arabian.
“Tarnette (aka the Pit Pony) and I have done over 3,000kms together. I do quality training over quantity. I find doing 8kms of hill work with her is better than 30kms of fast work. Her recoveries are awesome. She doesn’t pulse high and will usually recover from 55 to 40 in five minutes and she’s gotten better as she’s become more experienced.”
“Narla was the perfect horse as she had completed Shahzada twice and already had two big seasons under her belt. In 2012 she took out the NSW points and distance and in 2013 she won the NSW and National points and distance. She’s a pleasure to ride and does what you ask without any hassles. Alice Clarke often commented how well we suited each other and I think we made a good team. “When we were in full training, the aim was to get Narla fit to complete rather than fit to win. Becoming qualified to compete at Shahzada was the focus – a very ambitious goal looking back – but you need to aim high to achieve high. “Narla and I completed 1,200kms in 2015 placing first Lightweight distance horse and first Lightweight one horse one rider in NSW. Shahzada stands out as the best and hardest ride. It’s a true test of the horse and rider’s fitness and determination. Having to go out five days in a row is draining for both. The track is not easy and the hills are especially hard. “I was lucky enough to have mentors who guided me and gave me advice about how to ride and control the horse as well as horse management on the track and recovery back at base. I am extremely grateful to have had the help and opportunity to achieve what I did thanks to Alice Clarke, Jill and Martin Gregson. “I feel so lucky to have had such a capable, reliable horse with great recoveries and without a vet out this season. Now that she and I are both ‘in foal’, training has been put on hold but I am hoping we can have another season together sometime in the future.”
APRIL NEWMAN April Newman, 23, works on a Thoroughbred stud near Berry and started riding when she was 17. “After I’d had a horse for two years, I bought a float first, then a car, but I didn’t have my licence so I had to rely on mum. I just liked the idea Isabel Foster and Sharabel Kalarney
In 2014, April and Tarnette completed their first Shahzada and took line honours at Tarnette’s first 100km ride, the Q60. That year, Tarnette won Australian Lightweight Distance Horse, Australian Lightweight Points Horse and Australian Lightweight One Horse One Rider. In 2015, the pair successfully completed their first Quilty and went on to do the Big Three – Shahzada, the Quilty and the State Championship, which April describes as “frigging hard but a true test of endurance.” “The Quilty had been my goal since 2010 when it was last in NSW,” said April. “Because I couldn’t afford to go interstate, I had to wait until it came back to NSW. The same year, I broke in Valinor Park Vatel bred by Helen Rutland who very kindly offered him to me. I successfully qualified him to Open status with great recoveries and vet scores.” April is grateful to all her mentors in endurance. “A lot of people have helped me out over the years, and this is one of the great things about the sport. When I started, I knew nobody – endurance riders are now like my extended family.” April describes herself as stubborn and those who know her would probably agree. “If someone tells me I can’t do something, I’ll try twice as hard to do it!” she said. “I’d like to ride overseas, and hopefully will still be riding when the 100th Tom Quilty comes around which I hope is in NSW!” Underneath the stubborn and determined streak is a softer side to the girl whose horse means the world to her. “A few years ago, I got hit really badly with depression and it felt like I would never see the light again. The only thing I hung onto and that dragged me back up again was this mare. She is my once in a lifetime horse. No matter what life throws at you, you can saddle up and all your problems are gone. No matter what sort of day I’m having, when I go to the paddock and she greets me, I feel better. Endurance is like a sense of freedom. “My advice to anyone considering taking up the sport would be to have a go. Endurance riders are the friendliest people you’ll ever meet. But remember, it’s as addictive as cocaine... but twice as expensive!”
ISABEL FOSTER At 16, Isabel Foster is the youngest and most successful junior rider in NSW. In 2015, she and Sharabel Kalarney won Junior points horse, Junior points rider, Junior distance horse and Junior distance rider. A typical teenager, Isabel is funny, determined, affectionate and thoughtful. She has only just started her endurance journey but is already proving she has what it takes to succeed in the sport. “I’ve been riding horses ever since I could sit up,” Isabel said. “I rode my first horse when I was two – a 14.2hh very aged white horse called Gay but I used to call her ‘Mines’ because she was my horse. I had another very aged black 9hh pony called Mamma and I was confidently walking and trotting her unassisted by my third birthday. I still have her today. She’s blind and partly deaf but I love and care for her every day. I cantered for the first time on my fourth birthday and then mum said there was no going back. “Mum and I moved to our property at Bellingen when I was six months old and Mum started her business, horses naturally, teaching children to ride and training horses, so I was hugely influenced by her. By the time I was 12, I had ridden more than 20 different horses and fallen off countless times, but I bounce back easy. 80
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“I did my first 20km introductory ride on my eighth birthday but didn’t seriously start endurance riding until 2012. My year of greatest achievement was 2015 when I completed 1,340 kilometres with 100% completion and placed first junior on seven occasions at nine rides. Achieving the Big Three – oh what a feeling that was! And all on my trusty friend Kalarney. An eight-year-old part Arabian gelding, he’s only 14.2hh and my legs are very long on him. He is our homebred champion from Mum’s retired endurance mare. “My toughest challenge was definitely the Homewood ride in April 2015. This was my first 160km in testing weather conditions of torrential rain and deep slippery mud – an unforgiving track. It was the most mentally challenging and emotional situation I have ever been in but I had the support of the ride committee and vets who encouraged me not to quit but to continue out on the last leg alone in the dark. Mum was having a breakdown as she was worried I wouldn’t make it in by cut off time. As I rode out of the forest towards the finish line just before midnight, the entire committee and riders cheered and clapped as I crossed the line with five minutes to spare. I had taken 19 hours 55 minutes to complete and was now qualified for the Quilty. My little horse was so fit and strong he looked fantastic at the final vet check. He never gave up on me and I believed in him.” Still at school, Isabel has a busy schedule of commitments each week. “Between training horses three times a week and dance classes – I love hip hop and contemporary – I manage to keep fit and would like to compete in rides overseas next year,” she said. “Anyone who is considering endurance riding as a sport, I’d say: If you love horses, the bush and adrenaline rushes, do it!
April Newman and Tarnette
It’s not for the faint-hearted but it is for people who crave companionship with horses and seeing beautiful countryside and breathtaking views from horseback.”
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Horses may go through water if they are with another horse
Trials and Tribulations
O F C R O S S I N G WAT E R
Written by Chris Ros
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t some stage in your horse’s saddle career you may have to cross or go into water: whether a small creek, wide river or the beach, it’s best to be prepared. Some horses will just trust you enough to go straight into water but others won’t. Remember, before you start training your horse to accept crossing water, make sure the ground underfoot is not boggy, or your horse will never forgive you if he or she gets a fright. My experiences had me making the reluctant ones go into the water backwards. It seems if horses can’t see the water, once they are in it, it’s okay. I have seen this routine work at endurance rides too. I have always believed a horse sees water as a big hole because usually it is just a reflection of the sky. One of my stallions didn’t like the tiny wavelets at the beach but eventually would go right into surf size waves once he was used to the water. When I lived on our station in the north west of Western Australia, farriers were few and far between, so I had to learn to trim the feet of our horses. The ground was very dry and their feet were rock hard. I used to make a little bank around the feed troughs, big enough so when the stallions stood at the trough to eat, all four feet were inside
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this bank. I would then fill it with water and as the ground had high clay content, the water would stay there for hours. This softened up the hooves enough to make them easier to trim. If the horses were very hungry, they would go into the water of their own accord to get to their feed. This system may also help to teach a horse not to be afraid of going into water. I asked a few people, mostly endurance riders and even an old bushman, how they train their horses to make that first step into the water. The old bushman/stockman believes a horse can’t actually see the water in front of him, so as a result is reluctant to go forward. He said he would get a hose and wet down the horse until there was a big puddle under its feet. He then keeps walking the horse back and forth through this puddle until the horse accepts it. The bushman also said in his experience half a dozen riders can try to get the horse through water without success but put another rider on and it will go straight in. One person said they pick a wide, sandy or gravelly track with water right across the track. Usually there will be trees or bushes along the side of the track that will help act as a barrier, this should discourage the
horse from ducking off to the side. Do allow yourself plenty of time and exercise a lot of patience. Have a riding crop with you. Do not whip the horse but keep on tapping and keep the horse facing the water. Try not to get off and lead your horse across as most horses are still reluctant to make the effort and when they do, could make a mighty leap across the water and land on top of you. Some riders will walk their horse away and come back to try again, others try to get their mount to follow a mate. Other riders have said groundwork is the key, making sure your horse will go forward when asked. In endurance competitions, it is vital your horse will drink anywhere and sometimes this means drinking from dams or rivers or even puddles. If your mount doesn’t like ground water, then maybe at home you could let him go without water until he is thirsty and then he will be more inclined to go into water for a drink. Of course the lucky riders are those whose horses run in paddocks where there are natural water obstacles such as creeks or dams. In those situations the horses teach themselves.
Patience is the key
This horse leapt into the river
The horse nearly knocked down its rider due to fearing the water
A scary creek!
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Left to right: Richard Summerfield riding Mantuka Lea; Jamie Linthorne (Summerfield) with Tazsh Kamil Lea; Kym Crook (Summerfield) aboard Angabal Miracle and Lyn Summerfield riding Orchid Park Silver Mecca
Endurance Legends THE SUMMERFIELD AND MULCAHY FAMILIES Written by Carol Willcocks
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n article on WA endurance legends would not be the same without mentioning the stalwart Summerfield and Mulcahy families who have been members of the Western Australian Endurance Rider’s Association Inc. (WAERA) for many years. These two families – Lyn, Richard and daughters Jamie and Kym Summerfield and Liz, Paul and daughter Cassie Mulcahy would scoff at the title “legends”, however, they epitomise what endurance riding is all about. The families are related by sisters Lyn and Liz and they are great examples of the real spirit of endurance, successfully competing on the same horses year after year, completing kilometre after kilometre and experiencing both the hard times and the special moments alongside their family – both human and horse. While every sport takes a major input of time and money, endurance takes so much more in terms of dedication to training, commitment and caring for your horse – you can’t just put it away at the end of the day as you might a tennis racquet or bike for example. So what inspires a family to keep on in this demanding sport, year after year? Kym Summerfield began riding on a cheeky Shetland and says her favourite thing about endurance is “achieving the marvellous partnership with your horse”. Mum Lyn
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adds, “There are not many horse sports which require the hours spent together that endurance requires. The intimate knowledge of your horse and his or her requirements and character is something very special. Also, I have found the majority of people involved in endurance are easy to get along with, considerate of others and willing to share their knowledge.” An uncle who was a great horseman got Lyn and her sister Liz Mulcahy started out in horses. Their older sister used to ride his horses, which encouraged them also and from there they hired horses all over Perth just to be able to ride. Liz, who was working, often paid for the taxi fare to get them there. The girls rode track work for racing stables for a time, with ex-racehorses becoming their first endurance mounts. The idea of riding a horse for miles was planted by then, Lyn commenting she used to ride hers 20–30 kilometres at a time, and Liz taking seven-year-old racehorse Rye Buck into endurance after he retired from racing, their first ride was Muresk in 1978. Rye Buck (16hh) lived to the age of 32 and would go on to become the horse daughter Cassie rode in her first 20km ride at six years old. Lyn’s husband Richard learned to ride at ten, however, after attaining his driver’s licence the horsepower changed to cars and he drove in motor sports until the cost became too much and he reverted back to horses.
Lyn and Richard Summerfield’s first endurance experience was at The Golden Horseshoe 50 Miler at Bridgetown (prior to the setting up of WAERA) when they went along and helped to strap. Lyn says she had always wanted to have a go at endurance and that cemented it for her. Both Lyn and Liz had some time off to have children but have been riding ever since, as has Richard. Liz’s husband Paul was also a regular on the endurance scene, vetting at many rides over the years and a great support in both club and family matters. It was a natural progression for the girls to follow on in their parent’s footsteps and become endurance riders themselves. In fact, Jamie has had her well-performed Arabian gelding Tazsh Kamil Lea (Kejome Kamil x M Candice) since she was ten and he was three and they have achieved many milestones together. Now retired, Tazsh completed 8000 kilometres and has won Junior, Lightweight and Middleweight distance horse and rider and points horse and rider for the state over the years. Without exception all say their favourite event is the marathon, whether it be 240km, 320km or Shahzada, as Cassie says, “Nothing builds the bond between horse and rider like a marathon where you get to see some amazing country, spend multiple days with your best mate and overcome any challenges put in your path.
Liz crossing a creek with Broadway
Richard crossing a river with Tora Azzan
It is to me the epitome of what endurance is about.” Cassie has completed marathons eight times (3 x 320km and 5 x 240km) and won a best managed award on the Arabian mare Tanderra Saphire (Tristram Islam x Desert Musketa) and her mum Liz six times (2 x 320km and 4 x 240km). They have ridden together for most of the kilometres they covered. While many of us see the marathon as a huge undertaking, Richard says the marathon is the ideal preparation for the rest of the year, teaching the horse to relax, eat and drink during the ride and giving you the opportunity to talk to other riders both on track and in camp. To ask which of their horses is their favourite is in itself a marathon task, as although they have all had only a small number of horses, each of these horses has been memorable and covered many kilometres, a testament to their rider’s skill and management. Lyn has completed 11000 kilometres in competition and says her most memorable rides have been on the Arabian gelding Orchid Park Silver Mecca (Chip Chase Jehane x Ros Reflection) who has completed 5000 kilometres. Most remarkable though, is that most of these kilometres have been achieved with Mecca having only one eye! “We have found it challenging and I believe
Cassie and Top Fancy Chacassi
that it has aided in building a special bond between us,” Lyn says. “There is an added need for guidance over terrain as the visual depth perception is altered, and night time riding being especially difficult.” Having said this, Mecca and Lyn travelled to NSW to compete in the Shahzada, completing successfully 400 kilometres in five days, over terrain that even a horse with two eyes would find challenging! “Mecca has always been a lazy boy, I have often said he doesn’t go fast but he goes a long way. As a young horse, following a long ride, he would lay down in his yard and there would be all sorts of worried faces thinking he was colicy. He is also a piggy when it comes to feed. He is the carrot monster! Mind you, a good eater is something that really helps in endurance. I remember his first 160km ride was the 2007 Quilty. His face told me in no uncertain terms that if I was even thinking about saddling him up a sixth time, I had another thing coming. He has always been a bit of a grump but he has always been a safe horse and has always done whatever has been asked of him. He has brought me great enjoyment and satisfaction,” says Lyn. For Liz, who has completed 14230 kilometres, “I can’t pick just one! Rye Buck as previously mentioned and Broadway (Mashour x Hayysarah), a beautiful Arabian chestnut mare. We completed 5400
kilometres together and we then had one foal from her. She has a fetish for biscuits – the ones with pink icing and hundreds and thousands. I still have her and she is 21 years old. There is also Tanderra Saphire. Cassie and I shared her. She was a beautiful lady and successfully completed 7500 kilometres. We loved her to bits but very tragically lost her in 2013.” Richard says his would be the Arabian gelding Tora Azzan (Aquanitor x Kargre Tiendi). “Azzan (aka Zan), a lazy sod but my favourite horse. Zan and I hit it off almost immediately with his laidback attitude, eager to please the rider and able to tell if you knew what you were doing or not. Ideal for the learner like me, and future son-inlaws – rite of passage to get the hand of my daughters! He carried me over 3000 competitive kilometres, two marathons and numerous other rides and each was a pleasure, loose reins and enthusiasm when required. He gained one best conditioned, which was a bit of a shock – we normally come in around last. I like getting my money’s worth at rides and enjoy the scenery.” Kym, now a mum herself, says, “Orchid Park Silver Phoenix, he was given to me by Tania Xanthis when I moved to Merredin, instead of wasting away in the paddock. He lives for endurance, if I don’t get him out of the paddock he becomes very upset and ENDURANCE AUSTRALIA
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jealous. He likes to go fast and much to his disgust we generally do seven hours for 80 kilometres. I managed to get his hooves into Easycare gloves and we have had no issues since. Riding long distance training and at rides is a pleasure and fun! We managed 1000 kilometres in 2010 and 2013.” He is a very competitive heavyweight horse. Kym neglected to say he had been struck down with a mysterious and major lameness and out of work for many years before she took him on. With her patience and management she has brought him back to soundness again. For Jamie, as mentioned Tazsh Kamil Lea was her pick. “Tazsh, although he is retired now, loved endurance. It never seemed like he had done any work, he always looked a million dollars after every ride. He loved the other horses and refused to go out in front, in case there were tigers in the forest, or behind that rock or in that bush that might try to eat him. He never did the rides quickly (averaged about 10km/hour) but he completed two or three 320km marathons, four 240km marathons and nine 160km rides, including three Tom Quiltys (WA – 2000 and 2007 and Vic – 2009). Tazsh’s career started in 1998 and continued until 2011 and he has been her only horse, taking her from junior to senior over the course of his 14 years of competing. Cassie also says she can’t choose just one horse! “All have a very special place in my heart. The Arabian gelding Top Fancy Foxfire (Yamegi Hussein x Kirkintillock Yasmin) completed approximately 4500km and was my first “real” endurance horse. He was a really tough little horse and taught me a lot growing up. He carried me from junior right through to senior riding and we successfully completed three 320km marathons together as well as a 160km ride. He was always keen to go and had the never give up mentality. Paul Mulcahy vetting at a ride
Liz riding the thoroughbred Rye Buck with Lyn aboard the mule Calamity – by nature and name!
Orchid Park Silver Phoenix with Kym
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Arabian mare Top Fancy Chacassi (Notosi Abbassi x Top Fancy Chaconne) completed approximately 4500 kilometres including three marathons and four 160km rides (including the 2007 Quilty). She received numerous awards throughout her endurance career including two Australian middleweight distance horse and three years in a row won WAERA middleweight distance horse. She was an incredible mare with fantastic heart rates, as tough as they come. Tanderra Saphire completed approximately 7500 kilometres. This included five marathons, numerous 160km rides (Tom Quilty 2007), as well as distance and points awards. She also received best managed horse at the 2008 marathon. One of the toughest horses I have ever known. The best eater, she was a pig. She was originally purchased as dad’s (Paul) horse but unfortunately for him, his bad back meant that he wasn’t able to continue riding for long. Fortunately for me and mum, she then became our spare horse.”
The one-eyed gelding Orchid Park Silver Mecca with Lyn
Cassie riding Top Fancy Foxfire
For those starting out a few words of wisdom from this family. Liz says, “A wonderful sport for young riders as it is character building and teaches you what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger – so suck it up – and the KISS principle.” Cassie agrees, saying, don’t fix what isn’t broken. “Everyone will always have their own opinions on what should work best for you and your horse, don’t overcomplicate anything or you can cause more problems than you will be solving. Also, to go with your gut feeling if you are not 100% happy with your horse.” As far as bringing a family into the sport, endurance allows the whole family to compete and camp together and instils some pretty good values like responsibility, good sportsmanship, respect and compassion for another being, determination and an enduring spirit. Lyn says they felt the girls were able to have fun with other junior riders, who were also responsible young people with parents who were caring and interested. It is clear these young girls have benefited from the experience and appreciate the efforts of their parents – and their horses. As Cassie advises young riders, “Appreciate your horse. They are amazing animals and give us their all, even when they are being rat bags! Also most importantly don’t ever take your folks for granted. Your parents do so much to allow you to achieve your goals and make huge sacrifices, always appreciate how much they do for you. Also volunteer! You learn so much and get to give back to a sport which gives you so much.”
Jamie riding Tazsh Kamil Lea
Tanderra Saphire striding out with Liz
The last word goes to Kym, who comments, “The motto says it all. Every ride is a challenge and a challenge worth taking on. If at first you don’t succeed, make sure you try again the next year!” And that sums up the longevity of the sport, no matter what your age you can get out there and enjoy pursuing your own goals. ENDURANCE AUSTRALIA
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