Deer Creek Stables Eventing

Inside

pictures from the

Don Sachey

clinic!

December 2011 Issue 4

Deer CreekStables

December 2011 Issue 4

Inside...

1 Welcome Letter

2 Alternative Therapies prt 2

3 Ariel the Oracle/Ride Report

4 Equestrian News

Front CoverAmy Haycock, working student, works on her jumping technique on her mare Sophie, as Don Sachey instructs. Click for slideshow:

Welcome to Winter at DCS

Winter is afoot at Deer Creek Stables. The days are turning cold and the horses are getting furry. That wind is certainly noisy in our metal arena!

Dedicated riders, as all DCS riders are, ride year long in every kind of weather. Be it 110 in the shade or 37 and wet, you can count on finding one of us horse crazy people astride a trusty mount working on something important to our skill.

As 2011 showing season comes to a close, it is a great opportunity to reflect on this last riding year. Do you feel like you and your horse are making progress? If your answer is yes or no, your have decisions to make. What is your plan for the upcoming year? Will you take more dressage lessons? Will you take advantage of DCS and other outside clinics? Will you cross-train to improve your physical fitness? All good things to contemplate. If you would like to add to your skill level, we are here to help. Take a little time and think about your goals for 2012. Be sure and convey your thoughts, and plans to Jennifer and the Team at DCS. We are happy to support you and help you succeed in your riding aspirations.

As a side note, many of the pictures in our newsletters come from your facebook pages, a practice my daughter fondly refers to as “creeping”, therefore I suppose I could most accurately be described as a creeper. If you do not want me to have my way with your pictures, be sure and let me know or I will consider them fair game! Just ask Jen and Harli...

Winter does strange things to people, be sure you find Rachel and Beau in the snow globe and Alyssa, Maddie and Guinney pulling a one-horse sleigh as well as other “jolly” happenings throughout the December Newsletter.

Cheers!

Angie

5 Rider Exercises

6 Transitions

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Viewpoint from our resident Alternative Therapist Extraordinaire, Elaine Burn

Alternative Therapies for the Equine...Enter Willy!

Part 2 of our 3 Part Series

Willy arrived in Texas a very different horse than the one I saw in Wisconsin.  He was aggressive, coming at me on the lunge line and biting me over the stall door.  I made a very big mistake and assumed this was spoiled young horse behavior rather than something that originated in pain.  After all, he was an orphan foal who had never traveled more than a couple of hours from the home where he was born and raised.  However, after he very violently bucked with the natural horsemanship trainer I’d hired to help me, that he was in pain became very apparent and we immediately headed to the chiropractor.

I had previously use Equiplex Veterinary Hospital in Flower Mound where Dr. Willard practices both traditional veterinary medicine as well as chiropractic, and he is an excellent, gentle and compassionate provider.  It didn’t take long for him to confirm this was a VERY sore horse, pretty much from head to tail.  We spent the next 11 months or so adjusting neck, pelvis, ribs and more on a monthly basis, all of which progressively relieved Willy of much of his discomfort and pain.  He improved in both attitude and in his ability to do what we were asking, which was pretty much just a basic walk, trot and canter under saddle.  

But, even after all of the monthly treatments, Willy still didn’t seem really happy to be working and we just couldn’t get him to stop swapping leads in back.  It was hard to tell exactly what was prompting the swap, and he would swap both directions without a hesitation in stride would even do it on a straight line in the pasture.  Nothing in his pre-purchase x-rays supported hocks as the issue, and we even went ahead and x-rayed the stifle joint to see if there might be an abnormality, but that was normal as well.

The stifle joint is much like our human knee, with a patella that slides up and down over it like our own

kneecap.  The ability of the horse to “lock” his stifle by having the patella “fixate” on the joint allows him to sleep while standing up.  But, if the patella “locks” during movement, the horse has to get the weight on the other leg to avoid tripping over the limb with the “locked” joint.  This partial fixation, referred to as “partial upper fixation” could explain why Willy was so anxious to shift his weight and hind lead to the other side.  

This was not an encouraging diagnosis.  If this was his condition, every time Willy swapped we risked stretching the ligament that should have prevented the patella from “locking”, possibly causing permanent damage.  The only way to “cure” the condition via Western medicine was either multiple treatments that would irritate the ligament, causing it to tighten and shorten, or to shorten it surgically.  Dr. Willard performed a basic irritation test but we saw no improvement, so it was unlikely future treatments would produce any results.  Willy was only 4 years old at the time and still growing, so surgery wasn’t a good option, and it wasn’t an option I wanted to consider before exhausting all other possible treatments.

It was Dr. Willard, then, that suggested Western medicine did not have a good solution to Willy’s condition and that I explore alternative treatment methods.  He was just starting his own acupuncture training, so that was the first place I looked.  More on that in next month’s issue…

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Ariel the Oracle

Ariel the Oracle here! Coming to you live from the best vantage point at DCS, my cozy corner stall. Say, we could use some hot apple cider out here...

At our last herd meeting we came up with a brilliant plan to communicate to you humans when something hurts, gets out of whack or is uncomfortable. We have generally agreed that our course of action will be to pin our ears back, bob our heads at the trot, buck or just be down right naughty. This is your cue! If this isn’t normal behavior for us, seek help!

Also Georgie says that the saddle pads pile up awful fast in the barn entry. This bugs the daylights out of her ((she’s such a neat nik) Please help out by hanging your pad to dry on a stall door or if you have the time do a load of laundry here and there.

See you next month and happy holidays to you all!

Ariel

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Competition Results for DCS Riders

Texas Rose in Tyler, TX. Amy Haycox on Kiss Me, I'm Irish (owned by Nicole Bergamini) Open Beginner Novice - Won the division - 1st place!! Amy Haycox on Smouldering Sophie Novice Rider - 11th Alyssa Valentine on Made 'Ya Look (Maddie) Novice Rider - finishing on their Dressage score (meaning no faults or time penalties in stadium or cross country - 7th.

Jennifer Burk on Buster Brown Open Training - 10th Rachel Herod on Baravus (owned by Alex VanAmburgh) Open Novice.  Although they were eliminated, this was their first time competing as a team.  Being the last recognized horse trial of the season, the divisions were very large and competitive.

She is so dead, this isn’t even my color....

No stirrups for a month! Get me out of this thing!

Equestrian News

Rolex Partners with Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2014by: Edited Press ReleaseDecember 13 2011, Article # 19274

Rolex has become an official partner of the Alltech Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) World Equestrian Games 2014, taking place in Normandy, France. The agreement was signed Tuesday (Dec. 13) in Geneva, Switzerland.

The Swiss luxury watch maker has been involved in equestrian sport since 1957 and is a major force behind many of the sport's finest events and riders. The brand's association with the FEI World Equestrian Games dates back to 2002 and Rolex was the official sponsor of last year's Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Ky.

Ingmar De Vos, FEI secretary general, welcomed the news of the Rolex partnership with Normandy 2014.

The revised edition of Olympic Equestrian highlights and chronicles the most celebrated equestrian athletes in the sport where men and women compete on a level playing field.

Reprint from http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=19274

Effect of Bit Type on Performance Horses Evaluatedby: Christa Lesté-Lasserre

With the seemingly endless bit choices available in tack catalogs, choosing the one that best optimizes the horse's performance and welfare can seem like a daunting task. Equitation scientists are now tackling this topic, and they're starting with the traditional single-jointed snaffle bit.

"The traditional (snaffle) bit has hardly changed over the past 3,000 years, and it's time to question whether it's really appropriate for horses in the modern age," said Klaske Van der Horst, MSc, lecturer at University of Applied Sciences HAS Den Bosch in Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands. Together with her colleagues, van der Horst compared performance and welfare criteria between horses ridden with a traditional 18-mm snaffle bit and an 11-mm, two-jointed "Myler" bit with a tongue port.

What they found was that performance stays the same with either bit, but the Myler appears to cause horses less stress, van der Horst said.

Fifteen Dutch Warmblood horses were trained over a period of three weeks by their regular experienced riders, sometimes using their own snaffle bits and sometimes using a Level 2 or Level 3 Myler bit (depending on the shape of the horse's

mouth). At the end of the three-week period, each horse

performed two dressage tests: one with the traditional bit, and one with the Myler bit. Van der Horst evaluated the horses' heart rate interval variations during movement to evaluate stress levels (the greater the variation, the lower the stress), and she checked for fluctuations in neck positions and observed how much saliva they produced. She also noted the number of times they gaped open their mouths and how often they were on or off the bit.

Horses in the Myler bit showed significantly greater heart rate interval variations during the extended walk, extended trot, and canter phases of the dressage test, meaning they were less stressed than when working these gaits in the traditional bit, van der Horst said. They also bobbed their heads up and down less often during the whole test, "possibly meaning they spent less time avoiding bit pressure," she added.

Five of the horses produced less saliva with the Myler bit than

with the snaffle, whereas the other 10 produced comparable amounts of saliva with both bits

"We aren't sure yet if this means they can swallow more easily or if they just play with the bit less often," she said.

For the other two behavior criteria--mouth gaping and on/off the bit--there were often major differences from one bit to another, but these varied greatly from horse to horse, van der Horst said. Some reacted more to the snaffle, others to the Myler; it seemed to be a question of personal preference for the horse, she noted.

But regardless of the bit used, each horse's performance remained constant in the two dressage tests, according to van der Horst. "So it is possible to ride with a more humane (snaffle) bit without compromising performance," she said.

Rider Exercise

Groundwork Exercises for the Rider

Have you ever watched an expert rider sit easily on a horse and just flow with the horse’s motion? Have you wondered how the some riders are able to get even poorly trained horses to move off their legs or stop a horse without touching the reins?

While some riders are naturally talented and learned to ride at an early age, all of us can improve our riding by develop our core strength, balance, and coordination. Unfortunately there is no magic pill that will help us become better riders. Even with the help of the best riding instructors, we benefit very little from riding lessons if we are not physically able to follow instructions. Personal training can improve a wide variety of riding faults, including:

1. Balancing on the reins.2. Collapsing on one side of the body.3. Rolling forward with the shoulders.4. Riding with your legs too far forward or too far back.5. Leaning on the inside or outside of the saddle.

Let’s take each of these faults and analyze what causes them and which exercises can improve the situation. Once you’ve taken thorough stock of the areas you would like to improve, a good physical trainer can guide you through the right exercises and keep you motivated.

1. Balancing on the reins.

Although most of us cringe at the very thought of hanging on the reins, we can’t avoid this riding fault if we lack the strength in our lower core abdominal muscles to keep us stable in the saddle. To develop these muscles, lie on your back on an exercise mat and put one hand under the small of your back (this is to ensure that your back stays in contact with the floor and that you don’t use your back muscles for this exercise). Ensuring that the small of your back stays in contact with your hand , bring your knees to your chest. Next, keep your knees bent and lower your feet until they almost touch the floor. Finally, bring your knees back to your chest again. This exercise isolates your lower abdominal muscles. As you gain in strength you can increase the number of repetitions you perform and eventually, for even greater resistance, you can hold a weighted ball between your knees.

2. Collapsing on one side of the body.

Collapsing in your ribcage will cause the horse to do the same thing to escape the pressure of your seat bone on the collapsed side. To improve your posture, work on you core muscles in the lower abdomen and your oblique muscles

(located on either side of your body at waist level). To work your oblique muscles lie on your right side with your shoulders off the mat and your right elbow on the mat directly under your shoulder. Bend the right leg but keep the left leg straight. While keeping your chest, waist, and hips in a straight line, raise your hips off the mat using your oblique muscles (keeping your left foot in contact with the floor). Do several

repetitions, then switch sides. To increase the difficulty of this exercise, increase the number of repetitions you do or hold yourself off the ground for longer periods of time.

3. Rolling forward with the shoulders.

This is the human equivalent of letting your horse fall on the forehand. To stretch and strengthen the muscles at the front of your chest, bring your shoulder blades back and down. Bend forward at a 45 degree angle from your hips and hold a 5 to 10 pound weight in each hand with your thumbs pointing forward. While keeping your elbows tucked close to your body bring your hands straight back as if you were trying to touch your shoulder blades together.

4. Riding with your legs too far forward or back.

For correct balance in riding you want a straight line from your shoulders through your hips and heels. Do squats to strengthen your legs so that they remain stable under your body. Besides building strength this exercise will show you where you have restrictions in your joints. This exercise was difficult for me at first because the scar tissue in my right ankle prevented that joint from bending. To do a squat, stand with your feet wider apart than your shoulders, with your toes and knees pointing slightly outward. Hold a bar behind your neck so that it rests on your shoulders. Make sure that the bar does not put pressure on your neck and that your shoulders stay back. As you lower your body into squatting position, shift your hips back and keep your lower abdominal muscles tight. As you raise your body by straightening your legs tighten your lower abdominal muscles and your seat (gluteal) muscles. Go deeper into your squat, add weight to you bar, and increase the number of repetitions as you get stronger.

5. Leaning on the inside or outside of the saddle.

Leaning to either side of the saddle is a sign of poor balance. To improve your balance, do step-ups. Find a sturdy ledge or bench that is about 18inches tall. Step up onto the bench with your right foot, heel first. As you step up, take the weight off of your left foot. Use your abdominal muscles as well as your leg muscles to raise your body up and stay balanced (it’s fine to move your left leg freely as needed to maintain your balance as long as the right leg remains stable). Hold your balance in this position for a few moments, then gradually lower yourself back down, shifting your weight back to your left leg. Watch that your hips don’t shift backwards or

to the side as you step up. If you find it difficult to maintain proper form as you step up, lower the bench. Switch sides for a balanced workout.

Spend 20-30 minutes on these exercises three to five times a week and notice how much your riding improves. Your horse will thank you with smoother movement, better balance, and an improved attitude!

Contributed By: Madalyn Ward, DVM

Holistichorsekeeping.com and Freedomfoods-tx.com and all

content thereof copyright © 2002-2004 Madalyn Ward and Bear Creek Veterinary Clinic. All rights reserved. http://www.holistichorsekeeping.com/

Transitions

Welcome to Kelsey Jo Walker! Kelsey is an MD resident at JPS. She has delivered babies with Alyssa! Her horse is a very cute Welsh cross named Colby. She started him herself and has him going nicely! Welcome Kelsey and Colby! 

Welcome to Chelsea Crank! Chelsea has taken riding lessons at Deer Creek for over a year off and on. She liked us well enough to bring her lovely paint mare, Gypsy from home to Deer Creek for a few months of training.

Welcome to Dr. Hannah Smitherman, MD. She is a physician at Cook Childrens.  She has taken on a half lease on Buster.  Hannah has considerable eventing experience and we are glad she chose us for riding and boarding! She has two daughters named Katherine and Sarah. They are taking beginner lessons. Her littlest child is Nathan and is not quite old enough yet to ride.

Let’s all give a warm DCS welcome to Kelsey, Chelsea and Hannah!

Warmest of Welcomes from your friends at DCS!

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Departures

Jet has found a new home. A family with a 14 year old girl has bought Jet and taken him home to live at their home. Let’s all wish them the best!

Kathie and Rageous are beginning a new adventure come January!

Kathie has had a wonderful job offer that is just too good to turn down and unfortunately for DCS she will be leaving us for Virginia. Rageous will follow in February. Thanks

Kathie for the opportunity to get to know you and help you with your

wonderful horse. We will miss you both and you are welcome back anytime. Best of luck, keep us posted and don’t forget to wear your helmet!

Alice in Wonderland, a long time family member of DCS was laid to rest on Friday, December 9, 2011. Alice was one of DCS first school horses and the original owner of “The Witch Lives Here” Halloween sign. Alice was a very special horse, she was originally owned by Angie Heflin but shared with Rachel Herod. Alice was a jumper at heart and she and Rachel made a special bond quickly. Alice lost sight in one eye but her trust in Rachel allowed her to continue jumping. Rachel took over ownership and had several good years with Alice. Alice became unrideable and was retired. As a faithful friend and true horse lover, Rachel, with the support of her mom Barbara, cared for Alice everyday. Her passing has been tough for all concerned. Please lend your support Rachel, Barbara and all those who knew and loved Miss Alice.