by Nancy Jaffer | May 20, 2017
Eager to ride to the hounds, but worried about how to do it with some expertise? Here’s the solution. Field hunter clinics are being held by local hunt volunteers June 9 and 14 at Chammings Showgrounds in Stillwater.
What will you learn? How to handle obstacles and varied terrain, along with hunt basics and etiquette. Meet other equestrians and enjoy dinner, the proceeds of which will benefit the pony club.
The fee is $35/clinic, $5 for spectators. Call 908-343-9631 or email rldhunters@gmail.com.
by Nancy Jaffer | May 15, 2017
By Nancy Jaffer
May 5, 2017
The 50th anniversary of the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association is being celebrated this weekend at its national championship show in Kentucky. IHSA, begun by Robert Cacchione at New Jersey’s Fairleigh Dickinson University, has grown to involve 10,000 riders at 400 colleges and inspired start-ups of similar, smaller groups outside the hunt seat and western disciplines, such as dressage and saddle-seat.
But one that has followed the IHSA template and taken off big time is the Interscholastic Equestrian Association, which Cacchione sees as a feeder organization for IHSA. Myron Leff, a founder of IEA with Roxane Durant, Wayne Ackerer, Timothy Boone and Ollie Griffith, considers Cacchione the “grandfather” of IEA, which is 15 years old and, he advises, the largest youth equestrian association in the country.
Of Cacchione, Leff commented, “He gave us permission to mimic IHSA.” IEA has an amazing 13,500 participants in hunt seat and western. It obviously was an idea whose time had come.
Camaraderie is a big part of the IEA experience.
For kids who don’t have their own horses, or can’t afford the expense or time of doing the big horse shows, IEA offers a route for riding.
There are middle school and high school teams across the U.S. involved with the IEA format, open to riders in grades six through high school. Riders pick school horses by lot at various competition venues, so no one has an advantage and catch-riding skills are a must.
Teams can be formed by schools or barns. There are 55 IEA teams in New Jersey, and the response has been so impressive that the Zone 2 team, which was New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York, is having a spin-off. The new Zone 11 will involve New Jersey, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, with approximately 1,411 riders.
IEA does more than offer participants a team experience. It also gives many students who otherwise wouldn’t have a chance to compete the opportunity to ride, learn and show. That rang a bell with Kathryn Colao of Summit, whose sons had outlets in Little League and Pop Warner football.
Similarly, IEA gave her daughter, Liz, a way to be involved with a sport she loves, without having to own a horse.
“I think it’s fantastic,” said Kathryn.
“It’s very equitable. People draw from the same pool of horses, so no one is showing up with their $250,000 horse and special trainer.” She pointed out that it’s not a one-off show here and there; rather, it’s a process that goes on through the season as a team builds its strength and riders seek to qualify through zone and regional competitions for the nationals, held last month at the Virginia Horse Center in Lexington, Va.
When her friends asked what IEA was, Kathryn replied, “It’s not Springsteen’s daughter or Bloomberg’s daughter in Florida with their horses. It’s a lot more accessible than that. It’s a really good opportunity.”
The most successful effort at nationals by Jerseyans involved Liz and her friend Olivia Hennessy of Basking Ridge, both members of the True Heart Stables team organized by trainer Torri Siegel Dragos, who is moving her operation that includes 12 school horses from Hunterdon County to Bedminster this month.
Liz, a 15-year-old sophomore at Summit High, took the title in the Junior Varsity Beginner on the Flat category, while Olivia, a 15-year-old freshman at Mount Saint Mary Academy in Watchung was runner-up.
“It was a very big proud moment for sure,” said Torri.
Champion Liz Colao and reserve champ Olivia Hennessy with trainer Torri Dragos.
“It makes me feel a lot more accomplished and that I was better than I ever thought I was,” said Liz, who was nine when she began riding at Union County’s Watchung Stables. And being there with Olivia, “made it a lot more fun and meaningful,” she commented.
Assessing the overall impact of the program, Liz said, “IEA really connected me with the people at my barn.”
“It got me to respect everything we do. It’s hard to ride new horses every single show. It taught me how to ride all different types of horses.”
Like many of the IEA participants, she plans to ride with IHSA when she goes to college.
Liz Colao
Olivia’s mother, Tracy Hennessy, said, “I love the team concept, the camaraderie among the girls. We’ve been very impressed.” Discussing the way her daughter finished at nationals, she observed, “I was floored. It was totally unexpected, but we were beyond thrilled. She just wanted to make the first cut so when she ended up getting reserve champion, we were really amazed and proud.”
Olivia, who began riding at Shannon Hill Stables in Basking Ridge, said it was “such a good feeling” when only she and Liz were left in the lineup to be pinned.
“I would have been so happy getting a ribbon at nationals; I never would have thought of getting reserve champion. Knowing I can get on a random horse that I’ve never ridden before, show and then place well and get to regionals, zones and nationals has done wonders for my confidence,” Olivia reflected.
Like Liz, she would like to ride with IHSA when she goes to college; that might even be a deciding factor.
“I just love to ride,” she said.
Olivia Hennessy
Torri grew up at her family’s Snowbird Farm in Long Valley, where “it was always a bunch of girls and we had so much going on all the time. When I started my own operation, things got so small. I was used to being really busy. But I had kids, and I had to be home by 3 p.m. to meet the bus, so there was no chance of me having any juniors (riders) because they all want to ride after school.”
As a result, her business primarily involved teaching adults. Then three years ago, with more freedom as her own children got more independent, she heard about IEA. She needed three kids to start a team and recruited them.
“It was fun. We had a good time, but I didn’t have any idea what I was doing,” said Torri, who now has 21 girls on her team.
By the second year, however, “We got a little serious. We made it to nationals. Some of the girls were better than others, but it really comes down to the luck of the draw. You draw a good horse, there’s a much better chance.”
Her middle school team made it through last year; this year, it was individuals, rather than a team, that got to nationals under Torri’s direction.
“It’s a chance to get into a stadium. It’s a chance to go back to my Snowbird roots; most of those kids rode school horses. It’s very familiar, and for me, it’s a good niche,” said Torri.
Asked about Liz and Olivia’s performances, Torri said, “We prepared, we did so many extra practices. They just nailed it.”
But it was tense waiting for the results.
“Until they pin the class, you never know,” she commented, saying the awards were announced one by one, from the lowest to the highest.
“When they called third place, and it wasn’t either one of my girls, we have a video of them hugging when they knew it was the two of them at the end. I was crying. It was a beautiful thing. If you have one good rider, you feel like you get lucky. But when you have two and make it all the way after working so hard…for me, it was very rewarding. And it was on live feed so everybody at home could see it. We started getting texts right away.”
Torri described IEA as a grassroots program, “because it’s teaching kids how to ride, how to get on any horse and be a competitor. I love being a part of it and being able to share the show world with kids who in other circumstances might not be able to get in the show ring.”
No New Jersey teams qualified for nationals, but three other individual riders from New Jersey also took part in the show.
Katherine Titus was fifth in Varsity Open over 2-6 fences Individual. She also was seventh in the Varsity Open Championship Class. She rides with Atlantic Cape Equestrians in Woodbine.
From The Ridge in Lebanon, Amanda Tom placed eighth in varsity intermediate over 2-foot fences and Taylor Pruitt of the Southern New Jersey team participated as well.
For more information on IEA, go to www.rideiea.org
by Nancy Jaffer | May 5, 2017
By Nancy Jaffer
April 23, 2017
What type of footing should you put in your ring? The number of options is positively confusing—do you want an artificial surface? And if you choose that, will it include bits of rubber, fiber or wax? How about something more natural, such as sand? How should the surface be cared for and watered?
A look at the front hooves of a horse landing from a show jump shows the amount of pressure that comes to bear on them. (Photo copyright 2017 by Nancy Jaffer)
It’s an incredibly complex subject, but I thought the man with the definitive answers to those questions would be Dr. Jeffrey Thomason from the University of Guelph in Ontario. After all, he is an expert on equine hoof anatomy and mechanics, while the subject of footing (the effects of surfaces) also is a big part of his game.
So when he was one of the keynote speakers earlier this spring at the Rutgers Equine Science Center’s vastly informative two-day “Horses” symposium in Piscataway, I took the opportunity to get his thoughts on the subject. As his bio for the Rutgers program noted about his work, “the effects on limb loading of factors such as surface properties is key to improving equine performance, while reducing the high frequency of limb injuries.” And who doesn’t want to do that?
He was most generous with his time, but the bottom line is that I got no sure-fire footing recipe. Apparently, there isn’t one.
“It’s not a single-answer question,” he told me.
Dr. Karyn Malinowksi of the Rutgers Equine Science Center and Dr. Jeffrey Thomason of the University of Guelph. (Photo copyright 2017 by Nancy Jaffer)
“The jury is still out, there’s no two ways about it,” the professor commented, pointing out, “It depends on the discipline.”
I did, however, receive a lot of information.
In his talk, he noted that risk factors related to the mechanics of motion involve not only the composition of the surface on which the horse is moving, but a number of other factors as well, including whether the activity is strenuous and/or repetitive, and shoeing status—is the horse barefoot or wearing shoes; if it’s the latter, do they have grips or caulks? There are discipline-specific injuries that include (to mention just a few) hock and suspensory problems in jumping and dressage, knee and pelvis problems in thoroughbred racing and navicular in jumping and general use.
Each stage of the hoof’s movement has different kinds of loading. The initial impact is shock. Then you’ve got the slip-and-slide, which is horizontal loading, and the weight of the force, which is vertical loading. Every type of load interacts with a different property of the surface. The first impact involves how much energy the hoof and leg have to absorb, depending on the hardness or softness of the surface. The amount of slide is controlled by the grip and we don’t yet know, he said, what an appropriate amount of slide involves.
In terms of what causes injury—do we want the foot to come to a halt? Definitely no, but then other than reining, we don’t want foot to slide out too much. Sponginess of the surface is important in the weight-bearing phase, because it will increase the amount of force on the leg.
The next step is linking the mechanics to the type of injury you might see, he said. Impact involves hock issues, slip and slide is probably deleterious to tendons; mid-stance, when the leg is vertical, puts 2 ½ times body weight on one leg, so “every tissue in the leg is wronged at that point.”
“Given you’ve got this partitioning out of different types of loading and interaction with different properties at different stages of the stance, every surface has a different combination. One that’s really good for cushioning the landing may actually increase the peak loading, and vice versa,” he pointed out.
Therefore, he added, we shouldn’t be looking at a single property of surfaces. Rather, we must look at them all in combination.
“That makes it complicated. That’s why we don’t have answers. It’s only 10 years into these kinds of studies.”
He also pointed out that among the risk factors for injury, “surface composition is nowhere near the top of the list.” More pertinent are the type and intensity of activity, how strenuous and repetitive it is and whether the animal is conditioned for the competition properly, which leads back to training methods.
Dressage horses do many different type of movements that require the optimum in footing. (Photo copyright 2017 by Nancy Jaffer)
Meanwhile, each type of artificial footing comes with its own set of problems. They’re all different, depending on how they’re constructed and who put them together.
Designers are experimenting with varying mixtures of the components, the percentage of rubber vs fiber, types of fiber, types of sand, he said. Clay with its little binding particles is another component. He said it’s a low percentage, 10 percent or less.
More questions: What kind of sand do you use, what’s the moisture content? How often do you water during an event? Water fed from underneath will superhydrate and then the water becomes part of the equation, not just the moisture in the surface, but the water itself has a hydraulic effect.
Water can give more of a cushion, he said, explaining, “Think of a waterbed, it has different properties than a regular mattress.” Systems that can do that are not inexpensive to put in and maintain, however.
He observed, “designers know what they’re doing and know the principles on which they design, but very few actually test forces” (to verify that their design does work).
Understandably, he won’t endorse any particular type of footing, or footing formula.
“We do not have enough information to state that definitively,” he said.
“A 100 percent perfect answer? The reality is not yet, (but) we should be able to get quite a bit closer than we are today. We’re answering basic questions but finding more questions every time we do. The rate of progress is increasing. What we’ll understand in 10 years is five times what we learned in the last 10 years.”
He mentioned it would be useful to check out the racing surfaces testing laboratory (www.racingsurfaces.org). It produces white papers on surfaces and how they’re tested. Although they are focused on racing, not showing, Thomason said, “The principles are the same; the outcomes are different, depending on the need.”
And certainly, you need a different surface for different disciplines. “One size doesn’t fit all,” said Thomason, who envisions the possibility of some kind of meter behind the harrow with a machine, that has a needle the driver can see, showing that the harrowing is appropriate for a certain discipline, as long as the needle is between the green lines. He said there’s no reason that couldn’t be done for all surface types, “so during the daily maintenance, you could recondition the surface to be appropriate for the use.”
So what should you do about your arena? He advises, “Find yourself somebody who’s reputable, because the good designers are good, they can get you the best product you can get for your needs.” Tell them about those, then get them to explain to you what they are doing.
“Interview a couple of them and see the different messages you get. Then make a decision on your best judgment.”
Added Thomason: “Realize that next time you want to put a surface in, your conversation will be very different, because there will be new information.” Rather than trial and error at work, “we should be progressing more toward knowing how the design will affect the horse. That has been the parameter that is missing.”
Remember, surface properties are just one of many risk factors. The intensity of the workload, speed, repetitions, that’s the biggest risk factor for injury, he said. That’s got the direct effect on the mechanics and loading of the leg.
“It’s loaded very differently in each of the different disciplines. Dressage is sufficiently different from show jumping that I think at some point they will have to be different surfaces.
“If you condition it for one discipline you’re going to injure horses in the other. If we know that is going to happen then it’s some kind of negligence. It becomes an ethical issue. We’re not there, but I predict we’ll get to that point where we have enough knowledge and say this surface isn’t good for this discipline.”
On the other hand, there definitely is some leeway. “If you condition a horse to work on different surfaces when they’re training then, they will be able to accept a variety of surfaces for competition too. (It’s like cross-training).
Riders of show jumpers who spend most of 12 weeks on a state-of-the-art artificial surface at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Fla., often will try occasionally to take them to shows held on turf during that period, to give their horses a break. While there are many pluses to grass, it can’t take heavy use and weather can wreak havoc on it.
Thomason emphasized that research into surfaces needs more sponsorship. At least 10 different groups around the world are capable of handling it, Thomason said; they just need the funding..
“We’ve gone beyond experience and observation. We’ve got scientific measurement and it’s changing the name of the game.”
Want more details? The FEI has produced a white paper on the subject: http://inside.fei.org/system/files/Equine%20Surfaces%20White%20Paper.pdf
by Nancy Jaffer | May 3, 2017
For the first time, Kent Farrington moved to the top place in the international Longines show jumping rankings this month, 23 points ahead of compatriot McLain Ward, who had risen to number one following his April victory in the Longines FEI World Cup Final in Omaha. So even though their spots on the list have changed, U.S. riders still dominate the top of the standings.
Germany’s Daniel Deusser is third and Eric Lamaze of Canada stands fourth, giving North America three places in the top 10.
Kent didn’t come to Omaha because he thought his best candidate for the competition, Creedance, wasn’t ready for such a test. But Creedance shone in several Global Champions Tour outings in Shanghai and Miami, with a second place in the former and a victory in the latter, though his results also were mixed and included retirements in classes in both shows.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 23, 2017
By Nancy Jaffer
April 14, 2017
They saw the light.
The CP National Horse Show, where the ASPCA Maclay at 3-6 has been the industry standard for generations, just scrapped plans to use the Maclay name for a new 3-3 equitation competition.
The ASPCA Maclay stands alone at the CP National Horse Show. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
In my column of last week, linked here, past Maclay winners polled were outraged that the name of their class was to be used for a less-demanding test. Confusion also was guaranteed by staging a 3-3 class, whose title included the word Maclay, a week before the ASPCA Maclay itself would be held at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena .
“We have taken into consideration the many comments that were received and have since removed the ‘Maclay’ designation from the title of the class,” said Geoff Teall, chairman of the National’s equitation committee.
CP National Horse Show President Mason Phelps had explained originally when questioned about the new class, “We think it has a lot more punch using the word Maclay in there, versus not. We want to keep it all sort of in the spirit of what we do.”
But there was just too much pushback for that reasoning to survive.
The new class has been renamed the National Horse Show 3’3″ Equitation Championship in honor of the USHJA Foundation. The class, which will be held in the Alltech Arena on October 28-29, before the 2017 CP National Horse Show gets under way, will be a stand-alone under USEF rules.
There will be only one Maclay trophy at the CP National Horse Show. (Photo copyright 2017 by Nancy Jaffer)
“It’s a long title, but I think it’s great. I really like that name because it makes it really important and it’s its own entity now, instead of something that is less than a big, important event,” said 1977 ASPCA Maclay winner Francie Steinwedell Carvin, one of many who had protested using the Maclay name for another class.
“I think they’re smart and I think a lot of people are a lot happier, including me,” she said when commenting about the change.
“The goal of the National Horse Show 3’3″ Equitation Championship is to offer a stepping stone to riders who aspire to compete in the ASPCA Maclay National Championships,” Geoff noted.
This also takes pressure off riders who aren’t ready for the difficulties of the Maclay to try an alternative and a more gradual approach that can educate them for a shot at the Maclay down the road.
As Geoff pointed out, “The fact that it is National Horse Show and is going to be in that ring gives it enough cachet that people will willingly give up” the idea of competing at 3-6 if they’re not really prepared.”
“We are certain that the addition of this class will allow more riders an opportunity to compete and prepare for the major ASPCA Maclay National Championship,” commented Geoff.
Geoff Teall, head of the CP National Horse Show’s Equitation Committee. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
He added, “The creation of the National Horse Show 3’3″ Equitation Championship solidifies the National Horse Show Association’s commitment to elevating competitive hunter and equitation competition. We chose to host the class in honor of the USHJA Foundation because the organization’s goals of supporting riders in competition, especially juniors, aligns perfectly with our goals in the creation of the NHS 3’3″ Equitation Championship.”
For the first year of the class, riders don’t need to be a member of the National Horse Show Association and will not need to qualify. Qualifying for the championship at the 2018 show will begin Sept. 1.
However, those wishing to take part in the inaugural class must be under 18 and have not competed over the 3-6 fences in the ASPCA Maclay Finals, US Equestrian Federation Medal Finals, U.S. Equestrian Federation Talent Search, the Washington International Horse Show Equitation Classic Finals, the Jump Canada Medal Finals or the North American Equitation Championship.
While riders eligible for the 3-3 championship may participate in the Maclay regionals, they may not show in both the ASPCA Maclay Finals and the National Horse Show 3’3″ Equitation Championship in the same competition year.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 30, 2017
| Mylestone Equine Rescue’s Help a Horse Day will be held from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. April 22 at Horsemen’s Outlet, 37 Molasses Hill Road, Lebanon.
Warren County-based Mylestone has a chance to win a grant awarded by the ASPCA to equine rescues that highlight the plight of horses in urgent need. Mylestone was a winner in 2014.
You’ll find all the details here, including how you can get a special discount on Horsemen’s Outlet merchandise just by signing the Mylestone roster. Even if you are unable to attend, you can still make a difference with a donation earmarked “Help A Horse Day”.
Featured will be a silent auction (can you supply an item for this?), bake sale and tack swap. Mylestone merchandise, refreshments and more will be provided. Want to get in touch with Mylestone? Here’s the link: contact us. |
|
|
|
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 29, 2017
The B.W. Furlong & Associates veterinary hospital in Oldwick has reopened, after closing last week, when it was discovered that a patient tested positive for the neurologic variety of Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1).
“The patient is in our isolation unit, removed from our main facilities and is under the care of (Dr.) Rachel Gardner…and her team of veterinarians and technicians,” according to a statement. Seven other horses who did not show symptoms but had contact with the infected horse remain in isolation as well.
“The index horse has no history of recent travel, therefore no other horses in the area are expected to be at increased risk at this time. The potentially exposed horses have been transported via closed commercial carrier to a separate quarantine facility and will continue to be cared for by B.W. Furlong & Associates veterinarians and technicians,” according to the statement.
“The established quarantine area has been reviewed by the state veterinarians and they have confirmed that it exceeds expectations put forth by the Department of Agriculture,” the statement continued.
The practice has concluded multiple rounds of cleaning and disinfecting in the hospital, and began accepting patients again April 8.The intention of the practice was to exceed the state’s recommended biosecurity protocols.The quarantine was not imposed on Equine MRI of NJ or Furlong’s Soundness Center and ambulatory veterinary services continued without restriction.
Jeff Wolfe, a spokesman for the state Department of Agriculture, said there have been no other cases reported around New Jersey.
More information can be found on the American Association of Equine Practitioners website, here, and the memo from the Department of Agriculture can be found here.
For questions or concerns, clients are advised to contact B.W. Furlong & Associates or Dr. Gardner at (908) 439-2821.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 29, 2017
Mane Stream, which offers a program of equine-assisted activities, including therapeutic riding, is having a tack sale from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. April 8 at 83 Old Turnpike in Oldwick.
Want to accumulate riding clothes, tack and other equine-related paraphernalia? This is your go-to. Rather de-clutter? Drop off donations or call 908-439-9636 to arrange a pick-up of items.
On April 9, Mane Stream is hosting an open house from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. It’s an opportunity to get insight into all that Mane Stream does by meeting the horses, talking to therapists and chatting with volunteers–maybe you want to become one.
There also will be activities for children as a preview of what goes on at Mane Stream’s summer camp.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 29, 2017
Did you miss going to the Rolex Kentucky 4-star Three-Day Event? Or even if you did go, you probably didn’t see all the action–there was, after all, a trade show to patronize.
On Sunday, you’ll have a chance to catch up or at the least, see why Rolex is called “the best weekend all year.” It’s being televised on NBC from 1:30-3 p.m. Eastern time. Don’t miss it!
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 28, 2017
It went all the way to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but Olympic veteran Adrienne Lyle will be allowed to ride Horizon and Kaitlin Blythe can ride Don Principe next week at the Dutta Corp. USEF Festival of Champions in Gladstone.
Adrienne and Kaitlin were suspended by the FEI (international equestrian federation), along with the horses, when tests showed the animals were positive for a banned substance, ractopamine.
Legally used in the U.S. for building up swine, turkeys and cattle, it is on the FEI’s prohibited list for horses. The original question was, how did the substance get into the horses? The answer was through Progressive Soothing Pink, a gastric nutritional supplement produced by Cargill. Tests showed that ractopamine, which was not on the list of ingredients for the supplement, was found in trace amounts.
Cargill issued a statement about the situation, explaining “Upon learning of this trace finding, we immediately withdrew our Progressive Nutrition Soothing Pink product from the market. At this time, we have identified and isolated the ingredient that was the source of the contamination and we have completely stopped use of the ingredient in all products.”
Adrienne and Kaitlin, who were connected only through use of the product–they did not work together–had their suspensions lifted after it was revealed the manufacturer was at fault. However, the horses remained suspended for two months, even though the substance was no longer in their systems. The FEI policy is to invoke such suspensions, regardless of the source of contamination.
That would have meant both horses would have had to miss the Festival, since their suspensions extended to June 4. That’s where the CAS came in and issued a stay of the FEI edict.
Horizon is a top contender for the national title in the Small Tour championship, while Don Principe will be ridden by Kaitlin in the Brentina Cup Under 25 championship. It’s Kaitlin’s last chance to try for the title, as she ages out after this season.
Adrienne also will be riding Salvino, a prospect for next year’s World Equestrian Games team, in the Grand Prix Championship at Gladstone. Another big name in that section is Kasey Perry-Glass on Goerklintgaard’s Dublet. Kasey is the only member of last summer’s Rio Olympics bronze medal team who will be in the Grand Prix at the Festival.
The competition begins on Thursday, May 18 at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation headquarters on Pottersville Road in Gladstone, and runs through May 21. For more information, go to www.dressagefestivalofchampions.org .
Adrienne Lyle and Horizon. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
