equestrian express issue 2

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2 • Equestrian Express Issue 2

Issue 2 Equestrian Express Cape Boerperd • 3

THE CAPE BOERPERD AS AMost people only see the Cape Boerperd at traditional agricultural shows, however only about 10% of registered Cape Boerperd horses are used as traditional show horses.

The Cape Boerperd has proved itself as a military horse because of its calm nature, and

are sought after as farm working horses as it has no equal regarding work power and contribution.

The Country was subdivided into regions and sub unions (provinces) each with its own team which are selected on merit and performance to compete at national level. The sub unions individuals compete at club shows and regional shows. A provincial team is then selected in each province to compete at the National Championships. A national team is selected annually. The Cape Boerperd national team has competed successfully against Namibia as well as against the SA Saddle Horse teams, American Morgan horse teams in the past. There was also an English team which competed against our riders in the spring of 1999.

The Cape Boerperd is traditionally shown in 5 divisions. 3-gaited, 5-gaited, Single Harness, Fine Harness and Equitation. Equitation – For showing a Cape Boerperd the “Saddle Seat” method of riding is used with a cut back saddle, thus positioning the rider towards the back of the horse, giving the added advantage that the neck of the horse appears longer, the front is better seen and the knee action is enhanced. The distribution of weight to the rear ensure that the hock can be forced well under to maintain the great showiness and peacock carriage which is the hallmark of the Cape Boerperd.The riders body is held erect, balanced over the triangle formed by the open seat bones, and the shoulders are square and relaxed.

The entire seat is controlled by the position of the feet in the stirrup-irons. The heel is pressed down and outward from the horses flank so that the sole is carried on a slanted stirrup-iron, causing the entire leg to be rotated from the hip bone to bring the inner thigh flat against the saddle and the inner knee firmly on the stirrup-leathers. The heels are directly below the weight of the riders haunches. The Cape Boerperd is gaining popularity amongst saddle seat riders because of its good temperament, affordability and good looks.

The Cape Boerperd Society regularly organise courses for judges and breeders. The amateur unions also have a development program in place as to give all South Africans the opportunity to enjoy this truly South African horse. The Cape Boerperd is as part of South Africa as “biltong and braaivleis”. The objective of the Cape Boerperd Society is to conserve and upgrade the true characteristics of the Cape Boerperd, to breed a multi-purpose horse for all South Africans. The Cape Boerperd must meet the requirements of all people under all circumstances as a pleasure, sport and work horse. The Cape Boerperd is widely used for pleasure riding on outrides as well as for endurance riding, and also does well at show jumping. These horses are suitable for rides of both sexes and any age as it has a loving and trustworthy temperament.

Testimonial by: Frances Grobbelaar Rambler is now 8 years old and I have owned him for nearly four years. Together with my instructor Tracy Kennedy of the Homestead Equitation Estate in St. Francis Bay we have worked hard on getting him to carry himself in a way that is acceptable to the SANEF disciplines of dressage and showing. The show jumping seems to have come naturally and he is very honest and safe to jump loving every moment of it. Colchester’s Rambler and I went to Bathurst and had a really exciting time there, what a super show incorporating SANEF graded and ungraded showing classes and jumping and dressage. The show spread over four days. Of the four 90cm Show Jumping events we entered we came 3rd in three of them. In the Dressage Prelim we came 2nd, and in Working Riding Showing we came 4th. Just a month later we went to Grahamstown for the Settlers Show.

Once again all the SANEF disciplines were incorporated. Our first achievement was to get 60% in both the prelim dressage tests giving us a 4th place, not bad for a 5-Gaited Boerperd! In the showing we entered the Working Riding class and were placed 2nd thus having to compete in the Champion Working Horse on the Sunday, we achieved Reserve Champion in this class and some great complements from an international judge Mr. Greg Gross – so proud of my Cape Boerperd competing against top quality Thoroughbreds and Warmbloods. In the Show

Jumping we came 2nd in the 90cm Championship class on the Sunday. These achievements spread over all the disciplines are really testament to a horse breed of great versatility and temperament.

Testimonial by: Jenny DickersonRecently at Stellenbosch Jhordan Hi-Jack won the Junior 1.00m Eventing, thus remaining unbeaten in this category in the Western Province for 2011 and 2012 so far. He is ranked 4th in South Africa for Junior Eventing 100, and he won the 2011 WP Junior 100 Eventing Championship. He was in the WP Junior Eventing team for 2011 and placed third individually at the SA Junior Championships at Shongweni in December 2011, the cross country phase of this category is run at 500metres per minute, with up to 28 jumps over a distance of up to 3kms!In addition to his Eventing successes, 2011 saw him win the WP Junior Intermediate Equitation Victor Ludorum and Championship.

In show jumping, he won all four classes at the WP Show jumping Championships in 1.00m, all four classes at SA Junior Championships in 1.00m Show jumping, AND he won both WP SAEA Show jumping 1.00m classes in WP, as well as the

national title for 1.00m! This is all the more remarkable because Jhordan Hi-Jack is a registered pony (150cm’s), not a horse, and he competes in these categories against horses, both Thoroughbreds and Warmbloods.Jhordan Hi-Jack has been in a provincial team for every discipline and in both Pony Riders and Junior age categories: he has Pony Rider colours for Dressage, Showing, Show jumping, and Equitation, and Junior colours for Eventing.

He has competed at national championship shows in these disciplines as far afield as Shongweni, George, Kyalami and Cape Town and he travels well, settles quickly and gets on with the job of competition! As if that were not enough, he also has the most wonderful temperament - quirky, but very kind! He is expressive and proud, intelligent and gentle.

He is very athletic and physically immensely tough. At SA Junior Champs in 2011 he not only completed the Eventing class all on one day, but then went on to win all the 1.00m show jumping classes out of 78 entries from all over South Africa, in the next 3 days. He is awesome!

4 • Dressage Equestrian Express Issue 2

Section 1 FEI WC Preliminary - Competition

1 Brandenburg Summer Song Kraai du Preez 63.452 Carel Hancke Shadow Lizelle Mitchell 61.293 Jarin Fan Bokkum (Team) Roxanne le Roux 60.344 Mahashi Euro Nicolene Scholtz 59.145 Davenport Wyndsong Peter Gube 58.886 Max a Million Willem Wessels 56.477 Thaba Dafoe Sonja Greyling 55.868 Brambury Constance van Jaarsveldt 55.529 O-Man Riza Prinsloo 54.2210 Roland van Selco (Team) Petro Smith 53.8811 Zelenka Posh Chantel Krog 52.7612 Nelson’s Aquarius Willem Wessels 52.513 Leanesse MC Oosthuizen 52.1614 Burgerstrots Boer Role Swart 50.615 Shari MC Oosthuizen 48.7916 Katanga Look Forward Carine Marx 44.57

Section 2 FEI WC Elementary-Competition

1 Ritesedfred Cathrine Irving 61.552 Sailing Susan van der Schyff 59.053 Arnell Rijk (Team) Kraai di Preez 58.384 Africa’s Wizzbar (Team) Rensia Moller 52.845 Carel Hancke Summer Breeze Marise Erasmus 51.62

Section 3 FEI WC Medium -Competiton

1 Voightkrich Sokrates (Team) Helle Wagner 64.562 P.A.S Brabant Odette van Oudtshoorn 57.753 Gombera Utah Marise Erasmus 50.814 Brandenburg Last Love (Team) Kraai du Preez 49.31

Section 4 FEI WC Advanced-Competition

1 Branbach Liebling Gerti Kusseler 58.99

Section 6 JUNIOR FEI WC Preliminary-Competition

1 Brandenburg Special Assignment Monique Papenfus 64.662 Wednesday Ruby (Team) Kimberley van der Schyff 64.313 Rainbows End (Team) Jade Hancke 62.594 Sandman Natasha Emmerick 59.665 Manarch Aziz Andrea Coetzee 56.81 Section 11 PR FEI WC Elementary-Competition

1 Carel Hancke Lady Camilla (Team) Jade Hancke 61.012 Vlek-Vlek Hannelize Kamffer 57.73 HAT Swenk Surika Struwig 56.554 Buck (Team) Hannelize Kamffer 53.92

By Natalie InggsPhotos by: Nicola van der Walt, Colas Photography, Cell: 0727581703, Email:[email protected]

On the 19th and 20th of May 2012 The Mpumalanga dressage committee hosted their provincial leg of the 2012 South African National Dressage Challenge at the beautiful Forever Resorts Badplaas.

With the picturesque backdrop of the Skurweberg Mountain range, beautiful blue autumn sky, new white poles around the main arena, with cheerful yellow flow-ers in the dressage letter boxes and the zen-garden like raked and watered arenas, the scene was set for two days of exciting dressage. After several weeks of intensive rehabilitation of the arenas most riders agreed that they rode well. More work, is however, necessary to upgrade the warm-up area. The judges for the weekend were Mrs Susan Human, responsible for judging the Warm-up classes on Saturday and the SAEA Preliminary classes on Sunday.With Mrs Anita Perrow from Kwazulu-Natal and Mrs Sylvia Bruckner from the Western

Cape the judging the Challenge classes on Sunday. These two ladies are travelling to each province to judge over the next few months, which, in effect, means that the Mpumalanga riders will be ranked on a na-tional basis once all the provinces’ compe-titions have been completed.

Thank you to these judges for giving their time to make our sport possible.The offi-cials for the weekend were FEI steward Mrs Valerie Beuster, SAEA representative The-resa Greyling, Rider’s representative Mrs Kraai du Preez, bit checker Mr Sean Egger-glusz and Veterinarian Dr Albertus Coetzee, the paramedic on duty was Dewalt - thank you to you all.The Mpumalanga dressage committee would also like to thank their very generous sponsors for their support towards the show, a big thank you to the main sponsors Nashua Mobile & Associated Corrosion Engineering PTY (LTY). Thanks also to Riaan and Zelna van Niekerk for their sponsorship of the weekend’s beauti-ful rosettes and Simon and Natalie Inggs for the pretty flower boxes and rake.To West Acres Animal Hospital, Machadorp Veterinary Services, Riverside Nursery, Wait a Little African Big Five Horse Safaris, Not-

tinghill Equestrian, Graskop Spar, Vetsbrand Neutraceuticals, Ciplavet and Equestrian House for their very generous sponsorship of the Challenge classes.Thanks should also go to Komati Gorge Lodge, Tranquilnest and Ciplavet for the wonderful prizes they donated for the fundraising raffle, which was won by Philip Simon, Peet Bothma and Pieter Erasmus

A special mention to the caterers for the weekend Jackie’s Delicates, the food was delicious, and the judges were spoilt roy-ally and the cheese and wine buffet was di-vine, thank you. And to all our hardworking “slaves” behind the scenes, Mrs Marjorie Greyling in the office, our chairlady Mrs Nicky Horn, the scribes, runners, recorders, arena crew and long suffering husbands, thank you so much, without your input this show could not have happened.

And last, but very definitely, not least, an enormous thanks to our super capable Show Director, Ms Odette van Oudtshoorn, congratulations on a job very well done. I am sure everyone will agree that it was a lovely weekend enjoyed by all. The Mpuma-langa Dressage riders salute you!

For more information contact:Cell: 076 941 1206 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Website: www.mphs.org.za

NISSAN WINTER CLASSIC 14 – 17 June 2012Come and watch the Nissan Winter Classic at Durban Shongweni club incorporating the 2012 FEI World Cup Competition. Rid-ers and their horses from across SA will be participating in this spectacular event. It is definitely something to see, so don’t miss out, scrumptious food is available from the Saddle Inn Bar and Restaurant or bring your picnic blankets and enjoy a Picnic.

Venue: Durban Shongweni Club, On the corner of Cliffdale and Kassier road just off the N3.Time: 8am until 4pmTel: 031 768 1251Fax: 031 768 1267 or 086 546 7788Email: [email protected]

Issue 2 Equestrian Express Dressage • 5

Dr. Andrew McLean and his wife, Manue-la, will be conducting clinics in the Cape Town area during the month of October 2012 - dates to be announced soon.

Manuela is a well-known dressage competitor and is in great demand as a teacher. She is known for her

patience, encouragement and persistence in her pursuit for excellence at all stages of training. Her teaching style is hall-marked by her passion and excitement at even the smallest of successes. Manuela has great talents, both for educating effectively and having an acute eye for identifying what is right and wrong with both horse and rider. Andrew McLean grew up on King Island, Australia. He began riding at the age of three and started breaking in and training horses in his teens. After completing a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology and a Diploma of Education he lectured in Zool-ogy at the University of Tasmania.

It was during this time Eureka Prize for Sci-ence, Australia’s premier Horse Trials, the Gawler Three Day Event, and represented Australia in Horse Trials in 1989. In dressage, he has competed to FEI level and trained horses to Grand Prix level. He has also ridden to Grand Prix and Cham-pionship level in Show-jumping. He has a racing trainer’s license and has won bare-back races in Australia and New Zealand. Andrew has been an equestrian coach for over 25 years. With his wife, Manuela, he has developed and manages the internationally recog-nized Australian Equine Behavior Centre (AEBC), the most internationally recog-nized horse training and behavior modifica-tion centre in Australia. He has coached some of the world’s greatest riders, coaches and trainers and reformed internationally com-petitive horses up to Olympic Games and World Championship level, as well as some top Austral-ian racehorses.He has been instrumental in forming the International Society for Equitation Science, of which he is the current president. His goal is to create knowledge bases for equita-tion science in the universities of the world and to ensure that horse training is optimally ethical, sustainable and evidence based. In great demand as a trainer, coach and speaker, Dr. McLean currently conducts lecture demon-strations at universities and conferences around the world. He has given lectures and demon-strations at Saumur, France, and twice at the

Global Dressage Forum, as well as at many of the world’s leading veterinary universities.

He teaches and conducts clinics throughout Australia, Europe, South Africa, USA, Canada and New Zealand. His book, THE TRUTH ABOUT HORSES, is Australia’s top equestrian interna-tional best seller. Andrew continues to coach riders and National Federations on the optimal use of learning theory for improved welfare of the trained horse as well as improved perfor-mance.Andrew was invited to re-train the Bel-gian Mounted Police in 2011 in a 5-day clinic to embed equitation science in their training after some convincing demonstrations with aggressive and fearful horses in May 2011. He is also Chairman of The HELP foundation,

(Human Elephant Learning Program). This cooperative project is focused on the optimal management, welfare and training of working elephants in Asia and includes the development and implementation of new training techniques based on learning theory and the elimination of punishment. What are Andrew McLean’s methods? Training has traditionally been described from a human perspective, as if the horse learns with the same mental tools of comprehension as humans and as if it has the same aspirations as the rider. This, of course, is understandable as horse training is far older than the sciences of psychology, ethology and zoology. The system developed at the AEBC is unlike any other system of horse training in the world. It stands apart

because it aims for the traditional goals of horse training strictly within the context of current “learning theory”. Learning theory (psychology), as well as cognitive science (the horse’s mental abilities) and ethology (natural behaviors), combine to form the new scientific discipline known as “Equitation Science”. This systematic approach provides a foundational or “basic” training that can solve any train-ing problem.The scientific process provides the most objective way for understanding the nature of things.

The AEBC system applies to all equestrian pursuits at all levels. It is one that everyone can learn as it is geared to teach you not only to train, but also to understand training. It doesn’t matter whether you have a bit in the horse’s mouth or not, it is how you train that determines whether a piece of equipment works or not. If the horse is free of pain and this system is followed consistently, it will pro-duce relaxation and looseness in every horse. Results can occur surprisingly quickly, even with problem horses.

This system shifts our thinking from “naughty” horse to “confused” horse and supplies the tools to eliminate the confusion. Clinic attend-ees can expect a well-educated, humorous and soft-spoken man who trains with science, not bravado and dominance. It is truly amazing to see how easy it is to achieve harmony with your horse when the emphasis is on learn-ing theory and stimulus control of the horse’s locomotion. Andrew rapidly recognizes gaps in the foundation training that result in “issues” arising later on. He is also quick to help you fix these gaps using the principle-based and scientifically researched method. It becomes such a simple and logical system of working with horses once you understand the “how and why”. You will not come away feeling like you can never do it yourself or that you need to

possess some magical talent. You will leave with the knowledge, information and understanding of how to apply the tools for the ethical welfare of the horse, whether you are a hack rider, a show jumper or a FEI level dressage rider. The science of horse training remains the same of all disciplines. What appears to be the most serious behavior or training issues are broken down to the foundation level and the solution becomes clear and possible!

For further information on the Cape Town clinics, please contact Tacita Giemre at [email protected] or 0722652488.

53 Main StreetP.O.Box 184Vredenburg7380

Tel: 022 713 2216Fax: 086 768 8008Cell: 082 895 5045Email: [email protected]

Sales ExecutiveAlna Steyn

MORTIMER TOYOTA WESKUS

6 • Friesians Equestrian Express Issue 2

The Friesian National Championships Bloemfontein 2012By: Johnny Moore

The South African Friesian horse association held its 2012 Friesian National Championships

in Bloemfontein for the first time in Friesian Horse history. The National Championship Show was under leadership of well-known horsemen Johnny Moore and Dick Swanepoel and the show was held from 30th April to 3rd May 2012. The SA Friesian horse breeders have taken part at 4 regional shows in Bloemfontein before, but this was the first time that the show was being held at National level at Bloemfontein. It is however not confirmed yet that the Friesian Horse National Championships will be permanently held in this central province every year.

Altogether 157 horses from 32 breeders and owners participated at this year’s Friesian National Championships. The fact that Bloemfontein is so centrally located made it possible for breeders all over South Africa to come and participate, there were even 2 breeders for Namibia namely Mrs. Karen Woerman and Mr. Fritz Visser which also came to

support the show as participants.The show’s success was also due to the ideal facilities that the Bloemfontein Show had to offer, as well as the efficient and friendly help of the Bloemfontein Show committee, and other Horse Breeds Associations which were involved in making this show a success. The organisation of a show isn’t always easy and is very dependent on sponsors and support from the horse breeders, businesses, and the public. The Friesian Horse Association is still keeping an eye open for a more permanent main sponsor to be able to guarantee that the Friesian Horse National Championships can take place in Bloemfontein every year, and to run the show more professionally and cost effectively for everyone involved.

The Friesian National Championships did however bring about a few highlights. A new class list was assembled with the help of Mr Niekie Pienaar from Potchefstroom so enable every horse a fare chance. There were also more juvenile classes brought in for children, and breeders and

owners of the future, to make sure that they had enough opportunities to participate at the show. The ladies were also able to participate in Fine Harness and Double Harness classes besides for their usual Ladies Single Harness class. There is nothing more beautiful than a beautiful lady with a beautiful horse.

Equitation classes, although a new division for the Friesian horses were also provided with lots of enthusiasm from riders and judges. This has also given Friesian horse riders the opportunity to compete on a provincial level, and to qualify for a National Equitation team which can compete against other countries. The idea is to choose a team which only uses Friesian horses and whom will compete under the Friesian Horse Association’s direction.

The qualifying classes during the show were very big with lots of entries in each class, compared to previous year’s National Championships. The quality of exhibitors and horses made it necessary to give more placings in some classes

and some classes even gave 7 placings, and this brought about very exciting championship classes at the end of the show.

The SA Friesian Horse Society and the organisers of the Friesian Horse Show in Bloemfontein hope to make the show an even greater success in the future.

The SA Friesian Horse Society aims to improve the quality of the breed, and have announced that they will soon be closing their books to ensure a more pure Friesian horse breed. A thorough investigation of SA Stud Book registered horses has been requested and is the in prose’s to purify this beautiful breed. The project has been to ensure that the SA Friesian horse goes from a developing breed, to a developed breed.

For more information contact the SA Friesian Horse Breeders Society on 051 4100900 or email [email protected]

In the Double Harness Championship there were 9 entries. Old Legend with Mr. Pieter Loubser from Malmesbury, showed the younger competitors that experience is worth more than gold, when at the age of 83yrs old he won his 33rd consecutive Double Harness Championship title.

Class K69:Grand Champion Double Harness (Jnr & Snr)Pos Horse Driver Owner1 Nugget / LJ PG Loubser photo PG Loubser2 Tsien / Sambuka J Moore Jorami3 Teunes / Turk PG Loubser PG Loubser4 Ugene / Nirvanna Chris de Bruyn Fremar Stoet5 Maxwell / Adonis Brendon Jansie Stoet6 Juanita / Bischka Jansie Stoet7 Tessa / Lienke J Moore Jorami

Mr. Frik Greune from Meyertons horses gave a spectacular performance in the Tandem class where horses are in harness behind each other, and it is an art to keep these horses inline. Performing out-standingly they then won the Championship. Class K70: Champion TandemPoa Horse S/M Driver Owner1 Ugene/Nirvanna H Chris de Bruin Fremar (Frik Greune)2 Fernando/Franco H Brendon Jansie Stoet3 Maxwell/Adonis H J du Preez Jansie Stoet4 Ubar/Fulcon M D Swanepoel Lone Palm

The stallion Zweitse owned by Mr. Klaas Venter from Grootvlei, became the Single Harness Champion after a total of 12mares and 18stallions competed in the qualifying class.

Class K54:Senior Champion Single HarnessPos Horse S/M Driver Owner1 Zweitse H Kavalo Stoet2 Weitze De Leije H Victor Botha Wessel Basson3 Lorima Lieneke H J Moore Elisna Steyn4 Sante Fe Rebel H Christa Eksteen M Eksteen5 Imhoff Reitze H Mariaan Ferreira 6 Louismari Tosca H PJ Terblance Baden Stoet7 Yns K. H Nikkie Groenewald Mihanlo Stoet

There were 23 stallions in the 3Gaited qualifying class, but the stallion Noorhoek Eagle owned by Mr. Johnny Moore from Bloemfontein became the Senior 3Gaited Champion.

Class K33:Senior Champion 3Gaited Pos Horse S/M Rider Owner1 Noorhoek Eagle H J Moore Jorami2 Wietse De Lieje H Victor Botha Wessel Basson3 Zweitze H Klaas Venter Kavalo Stoet4 Marco fan’t Fujldhus H PJ Terblance Baden Stoet5 Geyerspan Tilda M Baden Stoet6 Santa Fe Rebel H Christene Eksteen M Eksteen7 Jansie Fernando H Hendrik Jansie Stoet

Mr. Jan du Preez from Ventersburg won the Team of 4 Championship for the first time with 4 beautiful stallions.

Class K71:Grand Champion Team of 4Pos Horse S/M Driver Owner1 Tulbagh/Falcor H J du Preez Jansie Stoet2 Teunis/Turk/LJ H PG.Loubser PG.Loubser

Issue 2 Equestrian Express Polocrosse • 7

On Tuesday the 8th of May, veterans started to converge on the Bethal Polocrosse Club in Mpumulanga for the 2012 vets international between SA, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

The few days leading up to the test series were filled with activity and camaraderie. Serious squad practices took place, as well as a game of skill-honing “netball” (polocrosse on foot), where the men took on the ladies. The men outplayed the ladies, but not without loss as Jaques Minnaar ended his brief netball career with an ankle injury!There was also plenty of time for other great fun activities such as clay pigeon shooting and paintball. It became evident that, should anyone have to go out and shoot a bird for dinner, it would probably be advisable to let one of the lady vets do the shooting since some of the ladies surprised the men with their accuracy with the trigger!!

The paintball was awesome fun, with a bunch of vets playing war games and trying all sorts of “vet” tricks to be triumphant over the enemy! Yes – vet rule number 1 - rules are there to be ‘bent’. Paddy’s team took Colin’s team by surprise when they started making their moves before the starting hooter went! Hundreds of paint ball bullets were shot, with yelps, shouts and hands in the air as the game went on. Needless to say, there were quite a few vets with serious bruises and most were well and truly splattered with paint. Fortunately no injuries that would prevent the old vets from playing polocrosse!

We were all very grateful to Gert and Irma van der Merwe, and Massey Ferguson who sponsored a spitbraai on the Wednesday night, and to Amanda Muller and all the Bethal club members for all the great food and catering throughout the week. A sincere word of thanks needs to go to Julian Muller from the Bethal Polocrosse club, for tirelessly manning the sound and music system. Anne Hayden had done an excellent job co-ordinating and organising everything down to the finest detail, with invaluable input from Wessel Strauss.

Thursday night was the formal sit-down dinner where the SA, Zimbabwean and Zambian vets, (smartly turned out in their best with blazers and all), exchanged mementoes and interacted with one another. Even a power cut early in the evening could not dampen the enthusiasm and enjoyment. By Friday morning we were all champing at the bit to get started with the games. The test series which Paddy O’Sullivan had dubbed “Thatha Inkomishi” (take the cup) – was about to begin….The impressive Friday morning parade was followed by the 1st test where South Africa C played Zimbabwe C and won convincingly 24 - 8. Zambia, having only arrived on Thursday evening, had a short time to get to know their pool of horses before playing against the South African Harlequin side, losing to them by 7-26. The South African B team then played Zimbabwe B and despite putting up a hard fight, lost 13-18. The South African A team then put on a spectacular display against Zimbabwe A, winning by 27-13.

Saturday saw the South African A team and South African B team winning their games, while the South African C team lost by a short margin to the South African Harlequins, and Zambia beat Zimbabwe C in a hotly contested, close match. Finally on Sunday, all the South African teams except the B team were victorious. So in summary, nine tests were played, of which South Africa won 6, Zimbabwe 2 and Zambia 1. The final results were: South Africa A team beat Zimbabwe A team by 3 games to zero; Zimbabwe B team beat South African B team by 2 games to 1; South Africa C team beat Zimbabwe C and Zambia. Fortunately Jaques Minnaar’s netball injury did not prevent him from walking up and down the field all weekend giving excellent, non-stop commentary on all the matches! ‘Shot’ to official photographer, Grant Stevenson for tirelessly shooting pics, and to Shannon Gilson for doing much the same.

The Prize-giving saw Paddy O’Sullivan and Caroline Minnaar receiving the prize for best men’s and lady’s player respectively, and Ron Sparrow and Anne Hayden being awarded the prize for “most deserving” men’s and lady’s player. John John Rutherford’s trusty mount won the pony of the series. Not only were all the games played with great spirit and sportsmanship, but so were the parties! Fines were dished out generously by the fines master and we even discovered some hidden acting talents when the new vets put on their initiation ‘plays’, which is one of the reasons why Karen Cocker took the award at the prize-giving for “Personality of the series”! A vote of thanks needs to go out to the Zimbabwean and Zambian players and

supporters who travelled really far to make the test series possible. At the end of the day, polocrosse was the winner and we all parted ways having got to know each other better and taking with us great memories. The horses always deserve the last word, because without these magnificent creatures the game would not exist – so three cheers for our steeds!


Lutzville is situated in the Western Cape about 300kms drive from Cape Town.

This year’s Lutzville agricultural show will take place from Thursday the 2nd to Saturday the 4th of August 2012. The show hosts classes for Saddle horses, Friesians, SA Vlaam, Hackneys and Welsh ponies. Lutzville show will also be the first show of the new season for the Reinsman League wherein Saddle horses and their riders compete for points throughout the year, and there are great prizes up for grabs.

On Wednesday evening there will be a Potjiekos competition and many prizes to win. The show starts on Thursday morning with the In hand classes for horses, and school and town rugby and netball will take place in the evening. There are also lots of exhibits at the show, as well as a Merry-go-round and nice entertainment

for the children.On Friday evening there will be an agriculture show.

On Saturday the Horse Championship classes will start at noon, this is where all the best horses from during the show will compete against each other, there will also be a 8-wagon Championship. We are looking forward to the “Benede-Olifantsrivier Trekperd” Championships. During the lunch break on Saturday there will be a Sheep Dog, Fire, tractor and car show. After the show on Saturday there will be a show dance.

For more information contact the following people:Koela Smit (Chairperson) – 083 628 6247Rika Prins (Horses) - 083 398 0899Melanie Prins (Exhibit) - 083 283 3617

LUTZVILLE AGRICULTURAL SHOWBy Melanie Prins

At closing time on Friday’s, CHPA staff offer up a silent prayer in the hope that the weekend will pass without veterinary emergencies. On the Friday in question, their prayer was not answered. On return from work, Teeno’s owner, found his horse suffering from colic. Teeno, a veteran in the industry, was picked up and taken to Epping where his condition deteriorated. The vet was called, found fluid on the lungs and treated the horse for pneumo-nia.

During the night there was no improve-ment, so Karen was instructed to admin-ister the strong tranquilliser, Domecidan. This caused Teeno to fall asleep on his feet, head down, and expel the fluid from his lungs. At this point, due to infection, heart rate and breathing were dangerously high, leading to the fear that he might succumb to a heart attack. Throughout the following week, Diana

and Karin took turns to monitor the horse 24/7, until the vet pronounced him stable enough to be trucked to the R and R.

The owner was informed, and accepted the fact that Teeno’s working days were over. Recovery was slow. It took three months of constant care before Teeno recovered from his life threatening and traumatic illness, caused as it was later discovered, by ‘someone’ who had poured ‘herb water’ into him!

The dangers of ‘home remedies’ are regu-larly explained at Cartie Workshops, but there will always be those who think they know better, and take chances with the lives of their horses, causing unnecessary suffering in the process.

Cart Horse Protection Service‘CURES’ THAT CAN KILL

Issue 2 Equestrian Express Saddlebreds • 9


By Andrew Portch AEDP-CEqD and AED-CEqD

The interesting thing some of you may know is that the “first true premolar” is actually referred to as premolar

2 when discussing anatomy. The reason for this is that the wolf-tooth was, in the past, actually a fully fledged premolar. It is now known as a “vestigial” tooth, meaning that it is a structure that through evolution has reduced in size and function. This is exactly what has happened with this particular tooth. If one was to look at some of the earliest equine species you would find that these historic equines in fact had seven functional cheek teeth (4 premolars and 3 molars) in each dental arcade (row of teeth). However, through evolution, the modern equine still has seven teeth to the arcade but only six functional cheek teeth (3 premolars and 3 molars), the seventh being the vestigial wolf-tooth.

This phenomenon has come about through centuries of domestication of the equine. Probably the single most important factor contributing to this evolutionary change is the better quality of the feed that equines now consume. Horses have mostly lost the necessity for the extra premolar to break down the fibrous feed in order to gain the necessary nutrition from the feed consumed. I also believe that the bitting of horses, over thousands of years, has played a large part in the loss of function and purpose of premolar 1 (the wolf-tooth). I think that generations of pressure in the area have caused the tooth to reduce in size.

There are three main variants of wolf- teeth and they are as follows:Regular Wolf-teeth: Situated just in front of premolar 2, they have generally erupted out of the gingiva (gum) by the age of 1 year old.

Blind Wolf-teeth: This term is given to wolf-teeth that have not broken the gingiva, they are generally, but not always, situated a little further rostral (forward) in the mouth in the interdental space between the “true” premolars and the canines or incisors in the case of a regular mare.

Floating Wolf-teeth: These wolf- teeth are also considered to be “blind”, however they have no attachment to any socket structure. They are completely or partially loose of attachment to the gingiva and as a result they move around beneath the gum, hence the name floating wolf teeth.

Wolf-teeth are one of the first things I look for when I receive a case where a horse is specifically having bitting problems. They are generally situated just in front of the “true” premolars, and can be found in both the top and

bottom jaws. This meaning that when they are present, usually in the top jaw and occasionally the bottom jaw as well, they will actually interfere with the bit significantly. A common misconception is that mares do not develop wolf-teeth, this is not true.

Wolf- teeth are, generally speaking, quite small and loose however can vary immensely in both crown and root size. I personally have seen them from as little as a mere fragment in the gingiva, to a large protuberant tooth, with up to around 2cm of root below and 1cm crown above the gingival margin (see fig.01 for a quick example). As a general observation, I find that the smaller wolf-teeth are prone to cause more pain to the horse than the larger wolf- teeth. I believe that because of their lack of root structure, the smaller wolf-teeth are generally more mobile and therefore put more abnormal pressure on the tissue than larger wolf-teeth that are sitting in a socket structure. The so called wolf-teeth can be an extreme source of pain to any horse. As a precautionary measure, the wolf-teeth should be removed from any horse that is, or will be, ridden or worked in any manor or discipline. One must bear in mind that there is an extensive blood and nerve supply to the horses’ head.

Due to the extensive blood and nerve supply to the entire area, the horse’s head is extremely sensitive, accentuating any pain response. I don’t see why a tooth that has no function should be preserved, “just in case it doesn’t bother the horse”. The likelihood is that it will. I feel the removal of wolf-teeth is a quick and simple enough procedure and that the extraction should be done routinely. You can then be assured that if the removal of the wolf-tooth has been performed by a competent person, it will not cause problems for your horse in the future.Symptoms that your horse has wolf-teeth include, but are not restricted to: reluctance to take the bit when tacking up, tossing of the head when pressure is put on the bit, head shaking on one rein and not the other, biting the bit, napping, taking the bit and tanking especially when jumping, aggressive demeanour when being tacked up or ridden and quite often rearing.

Please note that any extraction, even of wolf-teeth, is actually a veterinary procedure. Although many veterinarians are not averse to competent dental technicians performing the procedure under their supervision, removal of these teeth it is actually illegal, unless one is a licensed and registered veterinarian with the SAVA. So, please, it is a painful procedure for the horse when the wolf-teeth are removed. I know that unfortunately this is not common practice in South Africa, but the extraction should be carried out professionally i.e. with correct sedation and pain control medication.

So, if your dental technician is going to be the one removing your horse’s wolf-teeth, make sure that your veterinarian is present. He/she will ensure that the correct and adequate sedative and pain medication are administered as well as ensuring the procedure is performed efficiently.

I have heard so many horror stories of people removing these teeth without sedation and veterinary supervision, and how they fought with the horse to “get the job done”. The horse fought against the procedure because it is painful! To be honest nine out of ten times that I hear these stories, the wolf-teeth have been broken during the extraction process. Then, at a later date, the horse owner must have the horse sedated anyway to have a far more difficult procedure performed on his/her horse to remove the retained roots of the wolf-teeth. This could have all been avoided had the procedure been performed under the correct conditions initially. The horse that has a retained root fragment will generally still show the same symptoms of a horse with wolf-teeth. The roots will still cause the horse discomfort and they often cause an abscess to develop, requiring further treatment. So please, either have your veterinarian remove the wolf-teeth or at the very least have your veterinarian present during the procedure. As horse owners and horse professionals we must stop “making a plan” and start doing the procedure correctly the first time round, it what the horse deserves. By doing it correctly first we will all benefit and get the results expected from our practitioners as well as our horse and not have to deal with complications further down the line.

Now on a lighter note, please also do not confuse wolf-teeth with canines! This is something I come across on almost a daily basis. People tend to confuse the two due to the position and shape of the canines being similar to that of the wolf’s or dog’s canine teeth.

I have attached a picture (fig.02) whereby one can clearly see the difference in both structure and position. Note the tags PM2 (premolar 2), WT (Wolf-tooth) and Canine, this image is of the upper jaw of the horse.

For more information contact or future topics you would like to have discussed please contact:

BENEFITS OF DENTISTRY IN THE COMPETITION HORSE

In the last article published, Part 1, I covered balance and its importance in the working horse. This article is entitled Wolf-teeth, in this article I hope to give you a basic understanding of this simple and common issue that causes horses a significant amount of pain and discomfort. It is something so simple, yet so often neglected.

Andrew PortchCertified Equine Dental PractitionerCell: 072 243 3466 Email: [email protected] or the Equestrian Express team at [email protected]

12 • Saddlebreds Equestrian Express Issue 2


1 WGV War Street Nicolette Dunbar 2 Paneras Epona Christo Paneras 3 Reiviraz Winstreet Star Niel Valentine 4 Wilgabos Pinnacle Point Junior Hugo 5 Geodine African Dancer Russell Waddington 6 O`Shea`s Private Mr BJ Sidwell Seko 7 Pea R Zinzan Brooke Wimpie Geitjie 8 Bg Sugarbird Wings Attie Koen

1 Valley View Explosive Lauren Williams 2 Nataniel Valley`s Sound Of Music Garland Poil 3 Trujo Exclusive O`Lee Chanene Voster 4 Nataniel Valley`s Silvery Dreams Kristie VD Westhuizen 5 Surabie Wee Pee`s Anna Leane Prinsloo 6 JNT PJ`s King Edward Handre Bosman 7 Ivona`s Secret Truda-Marie Koortzen 8 G.J.L. Rose Duke Bennie Lotter

1 Berjuda Touch Me Twice CJ Du Plessis 2 Keepon Desert Storm Junior Hugo 3 Jalari Ace Amigo Jacques Wiggins 4 Anvil`s Mud Guts and Glory Glenda Koen 5 Limebank Jack Daniels Sanna Botha 6 Din-Tjies Snowtia Mountain Ace Jack Patrick Boy 7 Thornvalley Skyfox Warrior Brendan Kretzmann

1 Gielet Cigar Lauren Williams 2 Wilmar King Cobra Dirk Claassens 3 BRT Street Assignment Junior Hugo 4 Jabula Skipper Niel Valentine 5 Daybreak Superstroke Otto Bekkers 6 St Anthony Prince O`War Jacques Wiggins 7 Cloverleaf Nimrod Glenda Koen 8 Show Me The Royal Choice Paul Tau

1 Nama Katherine`s Charl Oosthuizen2 AL Christina Aqulera Albert Hertzog3 Saai Miss Shelbyville C.J.Du Plessis4 Klipdrift Okalash`s Dream Poy Coetzee5 Studcor Kournikova Alfie Cockrell6 Din-Tjies Mountain Jack Cheese Patrick Boy 7 Rambler`s Cinderella George Borcherds

1 Wilmar Dark Storm Helena Swart 2 Prize Contender Rika Joubert 3 PB Song Of Fortune Petro B. De Waal 4 JNT Uncle Sam`s Time and Again Liesbeth Kretshmer 5 Show Me Top Gun Chantell Bosman 6 Feliko Kentucky`s Great Day Lezani Laubscher 7 Juhantha Power To Surprise Tharine Smith 8 Show Me The Best Soene Van Zyl

1 Spring River Mighty Joe Madine Dercksen 2 WGV Sparkle`S Street Joy-Mare Wessels 3 PB Out Of Africa Andriette Barnard 4 Maco`S First Image Tyla Jenkielsohn

1 Studcor Let`s Celebrate Francois Dercksen 2 Sewes Thunderstorm Liesbeth Kretshmer 3 Kalou Beauty Star Kippie Louw 4 Ivona`s Special Charl Wilke 5 Daybreak My Time Johan Els

1 Glamour Lady Jomari Du Plessis 2 Oosdeel Moonlight Lady PJ Krugell 3 SJ Harry Hotspur Hester Van Rooyen 4 SJ Sir Attitude Delano Human 5 Cs Whipping Boy Thomas Beukes 6 Valley-Venture Olympic Pride Amaru Groenewald 7 CCV S.S. Smoke On The Water Tian De La Rey 8 Winseco Elegant Victory Henry Meintjies

1 SJ Stand By Me Marinda Erasmus 2 Wilmar Mighty Captain Eliska Jordaan 3 Saai Miss Toysa Sonika Hugo 4 Show Me Wild Treasure Stephne Krugell 5 Anvil`s Mud Dancer P. Van Schalkwyk 6 Dp Sultan`s Koekie De Villiers 7 Umfolozi Blue Eyed Spider P.B. De Waal 8 D.L.R Call Me Texas Glenda Koen

This year’s 53rd annual South African National Saddle Horse Championships took place in Bloem-fontein from the 21st to the 28th of April 2012. This is where more than 900 of South Africa’s best Saddle Horses come to compete for a coveted National Championship title. Not only is the show the South African Saddle Horse National Championships, it is also the interprovincial competition where all the provinces compete against each other.

This year the Western Province won the prize for the team with the most points accumulated dur-ing the show. Zandri Snyman won the Junior Rider with the most points – she also left the show with 7blue ribbon Championship wins. Hanlo Smith was the Amateur rider with the most points, and Miss Main owned by Sonja Hellinger won the prize for the horse with the most points.

Below we take a look at some of the highlights from this year’s South African National Saddle Horse Championships.

2012 South African National Saddle Horse ChampionshipsPhotos by: Colas photography, Nicola van der Walt, Cell: 0727581703, email: [email protected]

1 Janhelpman Wheels Of Fortune Sumari Botha 2 JNT Story`s Time To Dance Dirk Claassens 3 Chrisdal Thunder Nite Dejane Poil 4 Bribery Corruption Petra Kleefisch 5 VR Classic Jp Hugo 6 Valley-Venture Follow Me Too Junior Mocke 7 Studcor El Bosco Koekie De Villiers 8 Car Desire`s Fantasy Patrick Boy


1 PSB Windstorm Carol Badenhorst 2 Matol Fox Junior Michelle Greeff 3 The Horseman`s Star Dancer Merchant Burger 4 Langrug Tai-Tai 3 Bianca Van Rooyen 5 Danstell Stumbling In Marna VD. Berg 6 Font Don Giovanni Nicola De Waal 7 Highbury Kutchicoo PJ Krugell 8 Dellview Flashy Carla Rix

1 Overschot I`m Simply Stunning Elsje Giliomee 2 Klipdrift Yoko Lash Charl Hertzog (JNR) 3 Venngel The Big Hunk Marco Van Rooyen 4 Saai Mr Schofield Carla Rix 5 Valley-Venture Magical Nite Merchant Burger 6 Redwoods Sky Cracker Lindi Pauw 7 Jme Paragon Denielle Viljoen 8 Nardine Beaus Master`s Amelia Kemp

1 Wilmar Eye Believe Nicole Bester 2 Bon-Ami Boy`s Town Tammy Wilke 3 Spring River Mighty Joe Madine Dercksen 4 Casino Denmark`s Joy Ride Ilcke Van Straaten 5 Vissershof Jim Dandy Liza Gerber 6 Trujo Quality Counts Morne Van Staden 7 Saai Royal Image Rachel Manolas 8 Studcor Bay is Better Michaela D Welzim

1 AL Christina Aqulera Albert Hertzog 2 Anvil`s Chigaco White Socks Attie Koen 3 Valley-Venture Nite Ego Mohamed Ismail 4 Hab Fire Walk JP Hugo 5 Saai T-Bag Junior Hugo 6 Calif Big Mac Niel Valentine 7 Jo-Jo Earth Quake Dirk Claassens 8 S.V. Amie`s Lover Alfred Atshame

1 Oosdeel Okalash`s Unforgetable Zandri Snyman 2 Cinderella Wilmare Human 3 SJ Big Six Vanessa Rossam 4 Bobet Jupitor Lourens Du Plessis 5 5 Deu Lovers Exso 962 Anri Steyn 6 Sabel Fortunate Jack Diandra Beitendach7 Oosdeel Maverick G. VD. Merwe 8 Valley-Venture King of Liberty Andriette Barnard

1 JNT PJ`s Spring Power Dane Van Niekerk 2 Venngel Sir Roy Amaru Groenewald 3 Bridgewaters Shades Of Nite M. VD. Westhuizen 4 SJ Glory Bound Kassandra Demmer 5 Clinvet Manasseh Vanessa Rossam 6 Jo-Jo Golway Monro Lefebre Rademan 7 Valley`s Wild Country Nicole Hellinger 8 WGV Sparkle`s Street Joy-Mare Wessels

1 Sulari That`s My Way Junior Hugo 2 Bridgewaters Spring Nite Harold Poil 3 Jonazell Royal Nite Dirk Claassens 4 Koringland Drill Sargent Jacques Bruwer 5 St Anthony Prince O`War Jacques Wiggins 6 SJ What-A-Horse Niel Valentine 7 Mountain Ace Jack Patrick Boy 8 Jalari Ace Amigo Ian Maritz

1 Beau Danel`s Misty Melinda Viljoen 2 Nemesia Broadway Supreme Adri Smith 3 Storm Zucchero Luci Nouwens 4 Al Christina Aqulera Hendriline Hertzog 5 Jonazell Nite`s Double Take Nicola Van Der Walt 6 WS Forest Queen Alna Steyn 7 Time and Again E. Kretschmer 8 SJ Rebel`s Reward Audrey Myburgh

1 WGV Little Prince Anika Louw 2 Calif Starchacer Alwo Dercksen 3 Oosdeel Moonlight Lady Carla Krugell 4 S.V. Ghost of Glory JJ Wiggins 5 Redwoods Rosita Girl Ilene Beukes 6 Geodine African`s Shadow Sophia Dercksen 7 Enja Tropical Summer Charlene Grevelink 8 BRT The Contender Tshidisho Morning

1 Dreto Lady Gahga Andre Botha 2 Vissershof Robins and Roses Junior Mocke 3 Wilgabos Mojive`s Born Free CJ Du Plessis 4 Sewes Succesful Raid Derek Wessels 5 Dee Jay`s Golden Ruby Alfie Cockrell 6 Sanian Bobby Angel Ninian Barrie 7 Law Majestic Jane Tommy Ferreira

1 WS Face The Place Milla Olivier 2 SJ Chestnut Champ Zanki Botha 3 If Teardrops Were Pennies Cayla Hertzog 4 Studcor Midas Magic Marni VD Merwe 5 Oosdeel-Twee Al Baldomero Andre Lange 6 PB Miami Drift Lisa Gouws

1 Merridan Touch of Fire Koekie De Villiers 2 Show me the King Eliska Jordaan 3 Umfolozi Blue Eyed Spider P.B De Waal

1 PB Cherry Chief P.B De Waal 2 Trujo King of the Ring Junior Hugo 3 Ridgefield Mountain Storm Suretha Maasdorp 4 Parash Touch The Edge Niel Valentine 5 Rinanti Master Time Madre Brand 6 Wilmar Space Spider Paul Tau 7 Trujo Tim`s Applause Koos Mahifu 8 Anvil`s Mud Dancer P.Van Schalkwyk

1 WGV Little Prince Anika Louw 2 Redwoods Rosita Girl Ilene Beukes 3 Calif Starchacer Alwo Dercksen 4 Oosdeel Moonlight Lady Carla Krugell 5 Star`s Sir Cliff Izel Du Plessis 6 Trujo Prince`s Delight Tshidisho Morning 7 Enja Tropical Summer Charlene Grevelink 8 Geodine African`s Shadow Sophia Dercksen


1 PB Cherry Town Petro Botha De Waal2 Klipdrift Okalash`s Dream Poy Coetzee 3 Dreto Be My Guest Andre Botha 4 Vissershof Dark Emperor Adriaan Odendaal 5 Bobet Man Of Rain Lynette Gerber 6 Vicwes Marabenta Danz Jacques Wiggins 7 Kieriekop Kama Shadow Jacques Bruwer 8 Madron Star Strike Charlie Brown

1 Undulata`s Made in Heaven Junior Hugo 2 Rare Dreamer Chantell Bosman 3 Ocksan Miss Jackson Nicola Van Der Walt 4 Juhantha Jagermeister Hanlo Smith 5 Trujo Buccaneer`s Delight Koos Mahifu 6 Blinkvos Midnight Flight Frans Pienaar 7 Thornvalley Indian Wild Sky Brendan Kretzmann

1 Jnt PS`s Spring Power Dane Van Niekerk 2 Venngel Slender C Inge Kruger 3 Wilmar Unique Space Thomas Beukes 4 Studcor Noble Eagle Zandri Snyman 5 Overschot Remember Me Siobhan Tenner 6 Klipdrift Yoko Lash Charl Hertzog (JNR)7 Valley`s Wild Country Nicole Hellinger 8 Oakley`s Snapshot Johane Venter

1 WS Red Hot Lover Junior Hugo 2 Valley-Venture Olympic Heir Dirk Claassens 3 PB Cherry Chief P.B De Waal 4 Juhantha Expectations Hanlo Smith 5 Saai Chaka Khan Harold Poil 6 Hunpre Hi Time Dejane Poil 7 CCV SS Marguerite De Savoy 8 Sellouron`s War My Way Eliska Jordaan

Glenda Koen

1 Yesyes Sultan`s Uhuru Calize Bosman 2 BRT Street Assignment Zandri Snyman 3 Justus Lee Roby Madine Dercksen 4 Molligny Shok Me Christian Geyer 5 Ml Danissimo Ruzanne Jansen 6 Steenrots Tango in The Wind Nicole Hellinger 7 BRT Kings Lad Elrita Crous 8 Bridgewaters Naughty Nite M. VD. Westhuizen

1 SJ Grace-And Glory Christo Paneras 2 SJ Bold One Jaco Venter 3 Bridgewaters Nite Of Roses Harold Poil 4 Idee`S Potent Moment Mohamed Ismail 5 BRT Fleets Boss In Motion Junior Hugo 6 Tierfontein Zippy Nippy Schalk Burger 7 Free Radical JP Hugo 8 WS Parader`S Cecret Charlie Brown

1 Splendidior Decimus Meridius Riaan De Waal 2 Dunedin War Thunderation Jannie Pienaar 3 Ever So Clever Albert Hertzog 4 Vissershof War Adventure Junior Mocke 5 DMB Poncho`s Russell Waddington 6 Sanian Mr. Bullet Ninian Barrie 7 Trujo Limited`s Cheaky One Jack Boyi 8 Thornvalley Bosses Magic Brendan Kretzmann

1 SJ Radetzky`s Top Zandri Snyman 2 Matt Burcke Tammy Wilke 3 SJ Sir Attitude Delande Human 4 Alleman Trojan`s Gulliver Sumarie Genade 5 Final Warning B. Schoeman 6 SJ Harry Hotspur Hester Van Rooyen 7 Ivona`s Beau Duke`s Sensation Elbe VD. Merwe

1 BRT Assignment`s Royal Asset 2 Highbury Fit for a King Niel Valentine 3 Highbury Highbury`s Salute Glenda Koen 4 Knocknacree Golden Fancy John Smuts 5 Daybreak Superstroke Otto Bekkers 6 Deu Wild Majestify Stephan Loock 7 Geodine Jonty`s Rain Dance Inedine Aldrich 8 Anvil`s Daylight Robbery F.Van Schalkwyk

Junior Hugo 1 Liebenstein Zanadu JP Hugo 2 Nemesia Broadway Supreme Adri Smith 3 AL 2 Dancing Nite Christo Paneras 4 Valley-Venture Hot to Trot Piet Olifant 5 Emerald War Prince Paul Tau 6 CS Whipping Machine Dirk Claassens 7 Hi Time Super Sexy Alfie Cockrell 8 Vissershof Father Joe Jacques Wiggins

1 Studcor Riverdance Koekie De Villiers 2 PB Song of Fortune P. B. De Waal 3 Juhantha True Star Garland Poil 4 AL Christina Aqulera Hendriline Hertzog 5 Marler Magic Moments Audrey Myburgh 6 WGV War Street Nicolette Dunbar 7 Juhantha Hot Ticket Nicolette Smith 8 Anvil`s Forever and a Day P.Van Schalkwyk

1 Valley View War Survivor Koekie De Villiers 2 Berjuda Touch Me Twice CJ Du Plessis 3 Valley`S Touch The Wind L.VD.Westhuizen 4 Keepon Desert Storm Junior Hugo 5 Nite Time Romance Harold Poil 6 Wilmar King Cobra Dirk Claassens 7 Anvil`S Mud Guts and Glory Glenda Koen 8 Gielet Cigar Lauren Williams


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Horse Therapyby Kim Dyson

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Horse Talk by Dr Mac


d&g


I first attended the SA Saddlebred Championships as a spectator in 1963.

The Show was then held at the Beaufort West Show. I was absolutely amazed to see these wonder horses which I had only seen in pictures before! I remember seeing the newly imported stallion, Special Society, being shown in and winning the Stallion In Hand class. This stallion was imported by and owned by the late Mr Fanie Fouche, of the farm Constantia in Rouxville.

I have attended 40 SA Saddlebred National Championship horseshows at Bloemfontein. The thrill of the show, the horses, and to be able to compete at this prestigious show, and just to see all these beautiful horses - That’s what brings me back each year. It is also so wonderful to see all my friends, who have the same interest and love of the Saddlebred Horse.

My passion for Saddlebred horses started when I was about 9 years old, I saw a picture of a lady in the USA on a Saddlebred horse, and I said to my Dad that that was the kind of horse I would like to ride and own! At that time we had cross-bred horses for working on the farm Hackney/Flemish crosses), and my Dad said that if I wanted to ride, I had to ride them!

When I was a bit older and I wanted to compete at a gymkhana etc, I had to ride my horse to the venue, and I had to find stabling for my horse beforehand for the duration of the event. My dad would then drop feed off for my horse at the place where it was stabled, and dropped me off

the next day for the event,

and fetched me after the proceedings were complete. The day after the event my dad would then drop me off there again so I could ride my horse home - sometimes as far as 30 miles! This went on until I was in Standard 7 (Grade 9). My dad then bought me a Thoroughbred gelding named Shane. I retrained him to be more of a good riding horse than a racehorse. I showed him for four years, but never won a prize he just loved running too much!

I then met a German horse dealer, Mr Hans Gunther, and from him I bought a wonderful Thoroughbred gelding, called Brigadoon. With Brigadoon I won many, many prizes in Show Hack classes. I also bought an excellent show jumper from Mr Gunther, called Marco Polo, on which I was very successful in show jumping competitions. Somehow in the back of

my mind I always still had the picture of the lady on that beautiful American Saddlebred Horse, and I vowed that when I could, I wanted a horse like that!

In June 1962 the late Mr Bennie Fourie a great trainer of American Saddlebred Horses accompanied my dad and I to go and visit Saddlebred Studs to try and find a horse for me. Our first visit was to Mr Piet van der Merwe’s Saddlebred Stud, on the farm Middlemount in Richmond, Cape. There I tried a slim, weedy young filly, named Lady Rex. She would only rack, and I was very bucked with myself that I could get her to trot!We went to three other studs, but there were no horses to my liking. My dad wanted me to a buy chestnut mare at a stud near Fauresmith (not Mr Pieter Jacob’s stud though), but I said that I wanted the first mare we had seen. I just had a feeling that she was right for me and was I right!!!

Three months after I had bought her, I won three first prizes at the Porterville Show. The following year at that same Show, she was the Champion Five-gaited Horse of the Show. Lady Rex was Champion Five-gaited Horse at the Cape Show (when it was still a great show) seven times in row! She won five-gaited championships at many shows all over the Boland. I first showed Lady Rex at the SA Saddlebred Horse Championships in 1967 - she won the Ladies Five-gaited class. She won that class on two other occasions as well

I think her record still stands for winning this class three times. My most memorable moment from the Bloemfontein Show was

when my beloved mare, Lady Rex, was the SA Reserve Grand Champion 5Gaited Horse in 1968. That was a hard-fought class, which lasted for over an hour!! “Daar was goeie perde in die Vyfgang Groot Kampioenskap. Maar die span het flou geword, en hier moet ons vir Mej Louise de Wet, gelukwens, hoe later hoe kwater, en die res van die klass - hoe later hoe flouer”. - written in the Skou Ring/Show Ring magazine

This Show is much more intensely competitive than other shows. The atmosphere can be called electric! And something good is always going on in the ring at all times. I have been to the South African National Championships of other breeds held at the same venue and they just do not have the same intense competitiveness and activity at their shows. My favourite

part of the show is having the honour of watching the Grand Championship classes on the last day, and to see the stands full of enthusiastic spectators, cheering the horses on. One does not see this at the Grand Championships of other breeds!! First time show goers should try to stay until the end of the show, to see the Grand Championship classes so that they can really appreciate what good horse should look like and perform.

Future competitors should know that this The SA Saddlebred Championship Show is not a show where one should go and try out a horse for the first time! The classes are just too strong with great horses and riders/drivers doing their best to gain a good placing in a class, or to even win a Grand Championship in one of the divisions.

Louise De Wet – attended her 40th Bloemfontein Show this year and talks about her passion for Saddlebred Horses with Equestrian Express.

Harold Poil literally grew up in the sad-dle working cattle on his father’s ranch in

Montana USA. He started working saddle horses at the age of 12 under the tutelage of Byron Turner, Jack Newman and then Jimmy Little before leaving for a tour of duty in Vietnam with the U.S. Marine core at age 18. Upon returning from war a decorated hero he returned to his passion for horses as an assistant to trainer Paul Rains.In 1969 Harold took up an apprentice-ship with the master horseman, and Harold’s ultimate mentor, Garland Bradshaw. Harold first came to South Africa in 1975 and 37 years later he has become an institution in the South African Saddle horse industry. Not only is he the chairman of the Northern Saddle horse Union, a member of the board of the National Horse Trust and a member of the board of the Saddle horse Breeders Society, but this year he has won the coveted “Trainer of the Year” title for the fifth consecutive year. He also has his own Harold Poil Solo line of tack and is a breeder of note having won the “General Sire of the Year” and “Junior Sire of the Year” titles for the past three years with his Stallion Enja Hell of a Nite.

1. Conditioning: Feeding your horse well is the foundation for everything else. Quality food and enough of it is key. The amount of food you give should be proportional to the amount of work the horse is doing in preparation and therefore will obviously increase the closer you get to show time.

2. Fitness: Make sure your horse is physically fit enough to withstand what he will be expected to do at the particular show. Incrementally increase the amount of work you do per session leading up to the show to ensure that your horse will be able to go the full class at the show without getting winded. Personally I prefer to alternate days between ridding and harness work to get my horses mouthed while keeping them fit. I also lighten the workload the week before the show and at the show so that my horses are feeling good and enthusiastic when they hit the ring.

3. Schooling: Mouthing your horse is paramount, a horse that does not respect the bridle will not respond to an aid properly. Make sure that you have repeat-ed the same aid enough with your horse that you will get the response you were looking for when you ask for it. I like to teach all my horses to do test patterns as this increases maneuver-ability which is a huge advantage when trying to get around the ring.

4. At Home Prep: Everyday grooming is essential to ensuring a healthy looking coat. Do heavy trimming before leaving for the show, fine trimming should be done at least a day before showing so they can get used to the wind effect on their skin and ears. Do not trim your horse the day of the show. Have your horse reset and shod properly 2 to 3 weeks before the show to ensure the shoes will stay on in the ring while still giving him time to settle into his new shoes. Make sure to fit and ride your horse with the tail setup you will use at the show at least a few times the week before the show so you know it fits properly and your horse is used to it, the same is true for tack.

5. Turnout: Remember it is the total picture that counts. Spend time ensuring that your horse shines on close up inspection. Have a clean and properly picked tail, use the tested tail setup that you perfected at home for that horse.

Harold will be doing this column of tips in each issue and invites you to send any topics you would like him to discuss to the Equestrian Express team.

5 Tips from 5 Time Trainer of the Year

Show Setter5Gaited Saddle horseJust bigger than 15.1

hands high.Hot, but very honest horse.

Currently being used on outrides

over weekends.

Contact: Lea Bosman on

082 573 9169


The guiding principle should be to keep all feeding practices as natural as

possible. Despite recent technological advances in equine feeding, most successful feeding practices have been in use for centuries and have actually been developed through an understanding of both the horse’s behavior and of how the horse’s digestive system works. Experience has shown that respecting the basic physiological needs of our equine companions will go a long way in keeping them happy, healthy and performing.

1. FEED PLENTY OF FORAGEThe equine gut needs a constant supply of forage in order to function correctly. Horses have evolved in such a way that they need to spend a long time eating. Forage in particular takes a long time to chew thus feeding plenty of forage to a stabled horse helps satisfy his need to chew and also relieves boredom, reducing the risk of behavioural abnormalities. Forages should provide the basis for all equine rations, and nutritional requirements not met by the forage should be supplemented in the form of concentrates. As a general rule, horses should be fed at least (absolute minimum) one percent of their body weight of good quality roughage. Energy derived from forage (hay and grasses), is cooling and thus can be an ideal source for “hot” horses. Many people believe that feeding grain in the winter helps the horse stay warmer, but hay actually produces more body heat than concentrates and thus more hay should be provided during the winter period. During winter months the nutritional value of forage (i.e. poor winter pasture) decreases. This may result in less feed energy that can be used to generate heat and energy for work. Therefore more forage may need to be fed than normal in order to compensate. In terms of nutrient levels in forage, from highest to lowest, green pasture generally tops the list followed by winter pasture, good-quality grass hay, and poor-quality grass hay.

2. FEED EACH HORSE AS AN INDIVIDUALFeeding lots of forage regularly is a common rule for all horses however their requirement for concentrate feed will vary. A product should be carefully selected based on the horses age, weight, workload and how efficiently they utilise their feed. A good doer in light work will have completely different requirements from a nervous Thoroughbred in hard work. The art is to achieve a balanced diet which meets the horse’s requirements or work whilst maintaining healthy condition.

3. FEED LITTLE AND OFTENDividing the total daily concentrated feed into as many smaller feeds as possible is much more natural and encourages more efficient digestion. The horse is a “trickle feeder” with a proportionally small stomach which is also fairly rigid. Divide the concentrated part of the feed into at least two feedings and distribute the intake of forage as evenly as possible throughout the day and also at night. Avoid feeding more than 2kg of concentrated feed per single feeding. Rather opt for

an additional feeding session or consider changing to a product designed for more intense training if your horse requires additional nutrients due to a higher workload. 4. AVOID MAKING SUDDEN CHANGES TO DIETAny sudden change made to the diet may cause the microbial population to be disrupted resulting in the production of toxins from bacteria which die. These toxins can cause metabolic disorders (eg. laminitis) and digestive efficiency can be compromised, leading to colic or diarrhea. A gradual change allows the bacteria to adapt and minimises the risk of metabolic or digestive upsets.

5. FEED AT REGULAR INTERVALSThe horse’s digestive system is not designed to be empty for any length of time. If a horse cannot have ad lib access to forage then feeding at regular intervals helps reduce the length of time the system is empty. Horses also thrive on routine and are happier knowing when and where their next meal is coming from!

6. CHOOSE GOOD QUALITY FEED AND FORAGEEquine feeds produced by reputable manufacturers are often more cost effective as only quality ingredients with high digestibility are used, providing far better value for money. One should be careful in the selection of hay provided: this should be mould and dust free and cut at a young immature stage to ensure digestibility.

7. FEED HORSES ACCORDING TO BODY WEIGHTThe total ration of a horse should be fed as a percentage of its body weight, generally no horse should receive more than 1.5% of his body weight in concentrate feed. When following the manufacturer’s recommendation on how much of the concentrate to feed, make absolutely sure you feed by weight and not by volume. Different concentrates have completely different densities, so take care to establish exactly what the volume of feed you use actually weighs in order not to over or underfeed your horse.

8. ALLOW TIME AFTER FEEDING BEFORE WORKINGIt is important not to start exercise on an empty stomach, but take care to allow at least 1 hour after feeding the concentrate before commencing strenuous exercise/riding, or the blood supply will be diverted away from the digestive tract to the muscles, resulting in impaired digestion. A full stomach may also restrict the area in which the lungs can expand, reducing cardio-vascular efficiency.

9. PROVIDE A CLEAN, FRESH WATER SUPPLYWater is the most important nutrient. 70-75% of a horse’s bodyweight is water and it is needed for vital functions like maintaining body temperature and transporting nutrients around the body. It is also a constituent of saliva and other digestive juices. Horses are notoriously fussy and sometimes choose not to drink rather than to drink dirty water. With constant access they will rarely drink too much.

Do bear in mind that cold weather can reduce water intake by as much as 14%. Adequate water intake is vital to prevention of impaction colic. Drinking cold water can be painful for a horse with bad teeth, so owners of horse with dental problems should

keep a close eye on water consumption. Encourage water consumption by adding 28-56grams of salt to daily feed, however check the levels present in your horses current concentrate feeds as some may already contain enough salt.

10. SUPPLEMENTS AND TREATSSupplements, as their name suggest, are there to add a supplementary component into the main diet in times of need. Most healthy horses receiving a balanced diet will not require supplements however when there is a specific need supplements can provide flexibility and focus in addressing specific conditions. Often supplements are fed by owners “just in case” however this should be avoided as over-supplementation, can easily lead to imbalances creating problems far bigger than the initial one being addressed. As with everything in life, moderation is key and this is true of treats within the equine diet. There is nothing wrong with giving a treat as a reward to your horse, as horse owners we must just be careful of what we provide as that treat. Succulents such as carrots, apples are most often fed, and are generally safe for most horses however in cases of laminitis, insulin resistance, and weight gain these should be avoided due to their high sugar content. The same applies to peppermints, sugar cubes and some commercially produce horse treats.The safest treat for any horse is one his digestive system is designed to eat, thus a handful of hay, a high fibre cube, or allowing your horse to graze in hand is the most beneficial treat you can provide. Always discuss additions of any kind to your horses diet with a qualified nutritionist or veterinarian to ensure due diligence.

11. KEEP FEED BUCKETS AND SCOOPS CLEAN Harmful bacteria only needs a bit of substrate and moisture to proliferate. Smelly buckets put horses off eating too! There is also the risk of cross contamination where a number of horses are involved and one or more is receiving medication, so take care to keep buckets and scoops hygienic.

12. LOOK AFTER THE SYSTEMTwo important factors here are dental care and de-worming. Sharp edges on teeth make chewing difficult so the horse will swallow larger particles of food, resulting in choking in some cases, and reducing the efficiency of the digestion process. Damage, due to poor internal parasite control, results in scar tissue which can accumulate over a number of years and reduce the area available for the absorption of nutrients making it difficult for the horse to maintain its weight and condition. Regular worming assists in promoting good condition throughout the horse’s life.

In the 1960’s the development of horse de-wormers was revolutionary in horse worm

control and the use of anthelmintics every 8 weeks was regarded as the gold standard. In the 1970s and 80s new anthelmintics were developed and these were then rotated on a regular basis with the idea that it will prevent the development of resistance. When horse worms were initially identified the large strongyle (Stronylus vulgaris) was the predominant parasite causing disease such as colic, in horses. However, there has been a shift in parasites species over the last 40 years, with small strongyles (Cyathostomins) regarded as the most pathogenic parasite. As the cyathostomins have a much shorter life cycle than the large strongyles (6 weeks compared to 6 -11 months), their repetitive exposure to anthelmintics has resulted in acceleration in the development of resistance. Varying resistance to all the groups of horse anthelmintics we have available has been reported worldwide.

The development of new anthelmintics is a long and expensive process, and they are unlikely to solve the problem as parasites adapt to develop resistance. So where do we go from here?

Firstly, you need to identify which parasites are present and target them selectively. Large strongyles are relatively rare these days, and most worming control programs are aimed at controlling cyathostomins. However, there are other significant parasites such as tapeworms (Anoplocephala perfoliata), which need to be treated specifically. This is usually achieved easily with once or twice annual treatments with a tapeworm specific anthelmintic. In foals, we also have to consider the presence of large roundworms (Parascaris equorum), which can cause severe colic. Therefore, foals should be monitored more closely and are usually treated more often than adult horses, until they can develop their own immunity.

Targeted selective worming Veterinary surgeons and horse owners have to completely change the way they look at worm control in horses. Intestinal worms in small numbers are not necessarily harmful to a horse. Furthermore, the presence of worms allows the development of natural immunity. This prevents the horse from getting a severe and harmful worm burden. Not all horses are the same, and some may develop better immunity than others. It has been shown that in a population of horses, 20% will harbor 80% of the worm burden. So it is important to identify the 20% of horses that excrete the highest number of eggs, causing pasture contamination. It is also important not to treat the horses with low worm egg counts, as these eggs will provide a population of parasites to the pasture that have not been exposed to

anthelmintics. This has been termed parasite refugia and helps to ‘dilute’ the potential resistant worms on the pasture.

Faecal worm egg counts and reduction testsThe only tool we do have to identify parasite burdens is a faecal worm egg count. The resulting count does not necessarily reflect the worm burden of a horse, but more the egg production of the internal parasites. This allows us to identify the horses that have poorer immunity to parasites and are excreting the highest number of eggs. Based on these counts we can decide which horses need to be treated with an anthelmintic. It is also important to establish the effectiveness of an anthelmintic by doing a feacal egg count reduction test (FECRT). This entails doing a worm egg count the day before an anthelmintic is given and then on day 14 after treatment. An effective anthelmintic should give a result in the range from 80-95% reduction in egg counts. This depends on the type of wormer used. It is really important to establish this on every farm on a regular basis to ensure that an effective

anthelmintic is used.

Pasture management.The importance of pasture management will vary between different farms. Intensive systems will require more intensive pasture management to reduce parasite contamination. Picking up of dung at least twice a week has been shown to significantly

decrease the level of pasture contamination. Manual picking up has been shown to be more effective than mechanical methods, but these are still much better than doing nothing. Co-grazing with other animal species such as sheep is also beneficial; the other species decrease the levels of pasture contamination of equine internal parasites.

A worm control program has to be developed for every farm, as no two farms or two groups of horses are the same. A program based on faecal worm egg counts and targeted selective worming will go a long way to ensuring anthelmintic efficacy for the long term and more effective internal parasite control. Once an effective worm control program has been established, there will also be a cost saving in the amount of anthelmintic used. We need to embrace this worm control approach, as it is for the benefit of horses and will ensure that we don’t end up without any effective horse anthelmintics.

Please contact your veterinary surgeon who will be able to advise you individually on the best parasite control program for your horses.

“Targeted selective worming

Veterinary surgeons and horse owners have to completely change the way they look at worm

control in horses”



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Neutraceuticals are a group of products that is obtained primarily from nature (nature’s pharmaceuticals). These products are not synthesized in a laboratory as is the case with main stream medicines.

The 20th century will go down in history as the technology

and pharmaceutical century. Incredible advances were made by large multinational pharmaceutical companies in developing new chemicals to treat and manage a multitude of diseases. A new era of natural neutraceutical medicine has however now arrived. Scientists worldwide have realized that Mother Nature has her own incredible wealth of natural plant and animal based healing elements known as Neutraceuticals, and they are gaining immense popularity as alternatives or to complement pharmaceuticals.

How to evaluate Neutraceuticals:The neutraceutical age is however still in its infancy and sadly not well regulated. This is allowing many unscrupulous neutraceutical companies to place inferior products with no scientific foundation onto the market.

Often these companies will make exaggerated claims and will try to convince their clients that their products can replace pharmaceuticals. Currently the registration requirement for neutraceuticals both in humans and animals is not stringent enough and this allows for many over claimed and under delivered products to be sold under the guise of legally registered products.It is thus extremely difficult for horse owners to decide on which products to purchase and more importantly on which products to use in conjunction with main stream medicines prescribed by veterinarians.

In a well researched study done in the USA it was found that many Neutraceutical combinations sold by companies had levels far below those stated on the labels. There is no legal requirement for companies to prove that what they claim on the label is in fact in the container. Sadly it was also not only the cheaper products made by unknown companies that under delivered, but is some cases some of the most expensive products were shockingly below the levels stated, or in some cases did not even include some of the raw materials stated.

So buyers beware! You may well be paying exorbitant prices for inferior products.Many Neutraceutical products are also not well researched in their formulations and correct use of the best product to use in specific species. Studies have shown that horses hardly

absorb Chondroitin sulphate even if it is the small molecule product that is horrendously expensive. It thus makes far more sense to include Neutraceuticals that are well absorbed and more affordable when formulating an equine specific joint supplement.

The role of your Equine veterinarian in the use of Neutraceuticals:In the past many vets were skeptical about Neutraceutical products as these had not passed the stringent and well established Evidence based medicine tests and double blind placebo efficacy trials that vets as real scientists adhere to. However more and more vets are realizing the importance of offering their clients a more holistic approach in the treatment of their beloved pets and horses. Veterinarians are attending courses on Neutraceutical science and some have even furthered their studies in this regard. The author has delivered numerous continuing education lectures on the use of Neutraceutials in veterinary medicine.Your veterinarian is thus by far the best suited to give you sound scientific advice on the correct and best suited Neutraceutical products to use in the treatment and long term management of equine diseases and conditions.

Discuss your horse’s treatment with your vet and enquire about the possible use of Neutraceuticals to help manage the horse’s disease. Remember your vet has the training and knowledge to offer you the most scientific and most unbiased opinion regarding the integration of mainstream medicines with the best suited Neutraceuticals. Many shop owners or sales staff dont have this knowledge, and although Neutraceuticals are allowed to be sold by them, I for one, believe the above should be reserved for Veterinarians. The Vetsbrands range of Vet only Equine Neutraceuticals is an excellent example of high quality, effective, evidence based Neutraceuticals specifically developed and researched for horses. Although this range of Equine Neutraceuticals is available exclusively from your veterinarian is extremely affordable when compared to other products sold at tack shops and other retail outlets.

Horse owners are welcome to email the author, himself a Veterinarian, with specialized knowledge in Neutraceuticals at [email protected] for advice on the sensible use of Neutraceuticals or to obtain a list of vets with a special interest in Neutraceuticals.

Dr Ockert Botha (BVSc)

equestrian express issue 2

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