Canadian Horse Journal - SAMPLE - Aug 2015

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CONTENTS •

In This Issue SPECIAL FEATURES

HOOF CARE & LAMENESS

8 TORONTO 2015 Pan American Games

14 Therapies for Lameness

Canada welcomed the world’s third largest international multi-sport Games, and our equestrian athletes made us proud.

12 The Gift of Life

Riding arena footing can be a rider’s dream or their worst nightmare – it all comes down to the foundation and how it’s maintained.

46 Flying Changes for Alberta’s Horse Industry

Decisions by Alberta’s new NDP government to cut $200 million in subsidies to horse racing and eliminate their horse industry specialist position have shaken the industry.

With many diseases responsible for causing lameness, accurate diagnosis is key to developing an effective treatment plan.

20 Tequila’s Hoof Makeover

A transfusion of a single gallon of blood can save a horse’s life.

32 What Lies Beneath

How corrective trimming and shoeing helped an over-at-the-knee, splay-footed, sickle-hocked mare become a Hunter.

28 Managing the Laminitic and Foundered Horse

Sole support can provide more comfort for the horse and a speedier recovery.

40 Symptomatic Lameness

Horses can exhibit lameness symptoms for numerous reasons, one of which is a poorly fitting saddle.

August 2015

60, 63 Products We Love

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64 The Business Stable

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Departments 2 To Subscribe 3 Celebration of Horses Photo Contest 6 Editorial 56 Horse Council BC Horse Day at the PNE, Road Safety 62 Canadian Therapeutic Riding Association News 58-59 Country Homes & Acreages Inside B/Cover To Subscribe

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PHOTO: HANS WIZA

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TORONTO 2015 Pan American Games Canada’s Equestrian Athletes Make Us Proud

F

rom July 10 to 26, 2015, Toronto was home to the Pan American Games, the world’s third largest international multi-sport Games, welcoming over 7,500 athletes from 41 countries and territories.

The athletes competed in 36 sports at more than 30 venues in 16 municipalities across southern Ontario.

The equestrian events were held at Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Park in Caledon, Ontario, with the exception of the cross-country phase of Eventing which was held at Will O’Wind Farm in Mono, Ontario, about 30 kms from the Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Park. The Canadian Equestrian Team competed in the three Olympic disciplines of dressage, show jumping, and eventing.

DRESSAGE With a total of ten countries vying for medals, the Americans took the lead from the outset of the team competition and held on for gold, but the host Canadians chased them all the way to claim silver, while Brazil just overtook Mexico for the bronze.

Canada’s dressage team of Brittany Fraser of New Glasgow, NS; Megan Lane of Collingwood, ON; Belinda Trussell of Stouffville, ON; and Chris von Martels of Ridgetown, ON, were thrilled to earn the team silver medal for Canada in front of a home crowd.

near right: Top Canadian Christopher von Martels (CAN) and Zilverstar. far right: Individual gold medalist Steffen Peters (USA) with Legolas 92.

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PHOTOS: FEI/STOCKIMAGESERVICES.COM

left: Ian Millar of Perth, ON, won a team gold medal and tied for 16th individually in his record tenth Pan American Games appearance riding Dixson, owned by Susan and Ariel Grange.

Phoenix of Cannington, ON; Colleen Loach of Dunham, QC; Waylon Roberts of Port Perry, ON; and Kathryn Robinson of Kettering, GBR. The USA captured both the team and individual gold medals in Eventing. In the team event, they triumphed ahead of Brazil who won the silver medal, while Canada took the bronze.

“To be able to come home for the Pan American Games and represent Canada on the team has been wonderful,” said Roberts, 26, the youngest member of the team who finished 17th individually in his second Pan American Games appearance. “I’ve been coming to the Caledon Equestrian Park for 15 years, and it’s great to see all the familiar faces and everybody rooting for the Canadians.”

In Eventing Individual, Canadian Olympian Jessica Phoenix riding Pavarotti claimed the silver medal, with America’s Marilyn Little and Brazil’s Ruy Fonseca taking the individual gold and bronze medals respectively.

“It was so awesome to be able to do that in front of the home crowd,” said Phoenix. “To be able to do this in our

Results were combined from two days of mixed Small and Big Tour competition that began with Prix St George and Grand Prix on July 11th, and only teams with Grand Prix combi-nations were eligible for the single Olympic berth on offer, so only USA, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil were in that race.

The result is a sensational fifth consecutive Pan American team victory for the Americans, bringing their tally to eight team and nine individual dressage titles in the 64-year history of the event, and earning a team berth at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Canada’s Belinda Trussell, an Olympian and three-time competitor at the FEI World Equestrian Games™, commented after the Grand Prix Special: “I think, for Canada, that this Games has pushed us to a new level. To be coming away (from the team event) with nothing below 70 percent, and highlights of 76 percent, has never been done. It’s really exciting for Canada. We are so pumped as a nation, and pumped to go forward to the next Games. We are international contenders - there is huge excitement!”

On July 14th, America’s Steffen Peters and Laura Graves added individual gold and silver to the team title secured on July 12th, and host nation Canada’s Chris von Martels scooped individual bronze.

“It was a very good test; it was a personal best again,” said von Martels, 32, who was making his major games debut. “He’s going so well at the moment. We’ve focused a lot over the last month and a half to prepare for these Games. He’s peaking at the right point. We are thrilled.”

The list of teams so far qualified in Dressage for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games now includes, Brazil (automatic qualification), Germany, Great Britain, The Netherlands (placings at Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy), Australia (best ranked team from Olympic Group F or G at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2014 in Normandy), and USA (single qualifier from PanAmerican Games 2015 in Toronto, Canada).

Team Results: GOLD — USA 460.506 • Sabine Schut-Kery —Sanceo • Kimberly Herslow —Rosmarin • Laura Graves —Verdades • Steffen Peters —Legolas 92

SILVER — Canada 454.938 • Chris von Martels —Zilverstar • Brittany Fraser —All In • Megan Lane —Caravella • Belinda Trussell —Anton

BRONZE — Brazil 414.895 • Leandro da Silva —Di Caprio • Sarah Waddell —Donelly 3 • Joao Victor Marcari Oliva —Xama dos Pinhais • Joao Paolo dos Sanctos —Veleiro do Top

below: Marilyn Little (USA) with RF Scandalous won the individual gold medal in eventing, and helped their team bring home the gold.

left: Individual silver medallist in eventing, Jessica Phoenix (CAN) and Pavarotti. below: (L to R) Jessica Phoenix (CAN), Marilyn Little (USA), and Ruy Fonseca (BRA) on the podium for Individual Medals in Eventing.

Individual Results: GOLD – Steffen Peters (Legolas 92) USA SILVER – Laura Graves (Verdades) USA BRONZE – Chris von Martels (Zilverstar) CAN

The three-phases of the Eventing competition at the 2015 Pan Am Games were held July 17 to 19 with athletes from 11 nations competing.

The only equestrian event to be held outside of the Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Park was the Eventing crosscountry phase on July 18th at Ann and Geoff Morgan’s Will O’Wind Farm in Mono, Ontario, which challenged athletes over the new CCI2* course designed by Australia’s Wayne Copping, an FEI Level 3*4* Course Designer.

Competing for Canada in team eventing were Jessica

PHOTOS: FEI/STOCKIMAGESERVICES.COM

EVENTING

August 2015 • Canadian Horse Journal

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HORSE HEALTH

The Gift of Life

PHOTO: ©CANSTOCKPHOTO/FOUROAKS

Blood Transfusions for Horses

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Blood transfusions save lives, and almost everyone knows the value of donating to the blood bank. But how many people think their animals could be blood donors, too?

Dogs and cats can both be donors, and there are a number of canine blood banks across Canada, many centered at animal emergency clinics and hospitals or veterinary colleges. At the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, Italy, a blood bank for dogs has been in operation for a decade.

Dogs with a minimum weight of 25 kg can donate blood and give up to 450 millilitres after a health check.

Depending on their size, cats can also give blood, about 50 millilitres.

But what about horses?

Equine surgery can be traumatic.

Maybe your horse has been injured in the field or while being ridden, has emergency colic, needs a sinus operation, has problems with clotting disorders, or is profusely bleeding because of a guttural pouch infection.

When your horse is facing treatment and might need a blood transfusion, some well laid plans will be in order.

“Horses are different from humans, dogs and cats,” says Dr. David Paton with Paton Martin Veterinary Services Ltd., in Langley, BC “Horses have seven major blood types and there are a whole bunch of subtypes.”

Humans have just three major blood types — A, B, and O. However the horse’s blood groups include A, C, D, K, P, Q and U. Then each group can have a variety of cell membrane proteins referred to as factors - a, b, c, d, e, f, or g. So a blood type is defined as both a group and a factor (Qa, Pd, etc.). Doing the math, a horse’s blood profile can be any one of over 400,000 combinations! As a result, it is almost impossible for a veterinarian to source matched blood from a donor horse. And as equine blood is not easily storable, it is not bankable. www.HORSEJournals.com • August 2015

BY MARGARET EVANS

“Matched blood is not easy to get,” says Paton. “In addition, horse blood does not store very well, no more than 30 days. It’s not often when a horse needs a transfusion but, when it does, a horse will need at least a gallon (3.78 litres) of blood.”

No one actually knows why equine blood doesn’t store well. But the saving grace is that horses do not normally have a reaction to unmatched blood on the first transfusion. However, if further transfusions are needed, sourcing matched blood may become necessary as, by that point, a horse will have developed antibodies in response to the first transfused blood it received. But sourcing matched blood is problematic since sampling for a cross-match from multiple horses is time consuming, expensive, and labour intensive when time itself is of the essence.

In a study done at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine’s New Bolton Center, scientists conducted a study to see whether blood samples stored for a month gave accurate results when used for cross-matching tests. They were surprised when the results indicated that horse blood became more reactive the longer it sat in storage, even just for 30 days. It had a tendency to give false positive results. The research was published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

In another study, the scientists examined the lifespan of red blood cells in transfused blood. Using young racehorses from a Thoroughbred rescue organization where they were resting from lameness problems, the researchers selected ten pairs of horses, nine with incompatible blood and one pair with a blood type that matched well. Each horse had a transfusion of a gallon of fresh whole blood labelled with biotin, a red blood cell marker that would identify which cells were the transfused blood cells compared to the horse’s natural red blood cells.

Results showed that, with well-matched blood, the half-life of a red blood cell was 33.5 days compared to an incompatible red blood cell that had a half-life of only 4.7 days. Horses that had transfusions with incompatible blood were possibly more likely to develop fevers but none of the reactions were severe or life-threatening.

“In reality, when there is a need we use our hospital horse or my personal horse or a second horse belonging to the owner of the patient,” says Paton.

Matched or not, that single gallon of blood may be the difference that saves a horse’s life. b

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August 2015 • Canadian Horse Journal

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HORSE HEALTH

THERAPIES FOR

LAMENESS

Accurate Diagnosis is Critical

PHOTO: CHRISTINA WEESE

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PHOTO: ©CANSTOCKPHOTO/LABRADOR

BY WCVM TODAY

A lame horse often means a sudden change in plans, and a lameness diagnosis during the summer is an especially disappointing way to end the show season for a horse and its rider.

In addition to conventional lameness therapies, newer treatments such as shock wave therapy, cold compression therapy, and regenerative therapies that use the body’s natural ability to heal may help to return horses to the show ring more quickly.

But what’s even more critical than choosing the best therapy is diagnosing a horse’s lameness as soon as possible to avoid complications, says Dr. Kate Robinson of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine (WCVM).

“There are many diseases responsible for causing lameness,” says Robinson, an assistant professor of equine field service at the veterinary college. “A thorough left: An equine standing MRI is an option for diagnosing subtle lamemesses.

diagnosis allows us to come up with the most appropriate treatment plan for the horse.”

COMMON LAMENESS ISSUES Here are some of the most common lameness issues that Robinson and her WCVM colleagues see in their equine patients: Caudal Heel Pain Also known as navicular disease or syndrome, caudal heel pain commonly affects the front feet of Quarter Horses and warmblood horses, but can affect any breed of horse. It is rarely found in the hind feet.

“We prefer to call it caudal (or palmar) heel pain, because as we’ve learned more about the disease, we’ve become aware that it’s not just the navicular bone’s fault. The soft tissues in the heel region cause pain,” says Robinson.

Horses with caudal heel pain often have a short, choppy stride and appear lame from the shoulder because they’re reluctant to move the sore foot forward.

PHOTOS: CHRISTINA WEESE

Osteoarthritis (OA) This degenerative joint disease, more commonly known as arthritis, is a chronic breakdown of the cartilage in the joint. The low hock joints and coffin joints are commonly affected by arthritis. Even the horse’s stifle joint can become arthritic.

Arthritis may be caused by general wear and tear on the horse’s joints, or by faulty conformation. It can also be a secondary problem caused by another disease such as synovitis or osteochondritis dissecans (OCD).

A close-up of an equine foot.

August 2015 • Canadian Horse Journal

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HORSE HEALTH

TEQUILA’S

Hoof Makeover

BY HANS WIZA

Tequila is a Thoroughbred mare that I was asked to shoe a couple of months back. She stands splayfooted, is badly over at the knees, and her hind legs were quite sicklehocked. Her feet were smashed, flared, chipped, and cracked. She was just the kind of project that I wanted to do a “hoof makeover” on ­— I do love a challenge.

Notice the nearly horizontal hairline, and the up-arc in the hairline.

Up-arcs in hairlines indicate a hoof joint surface that does not load correctly and does not allow for a congruent alignment of the limb.

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equila’s owner wants to show her in hunters.

The hunter ring calls for a horse with a rhythmic, flowing way-of-going without too much knee action, and a forward-moving canter capable of making the distances, along with nice round self-carriage.

To achieve this, Tequila was going to need better posture. Her knee action was exaggerated to the point that she left her front legs underneath herself and was just heavy on the forehand. Her canter was simply a rough, plunging, porpoise-like wave, not the nice linear lope called for in the hunter ring. She would also break into a four-beat canter when she lost impulsion. The left lead (the more upright foot) was very difficult for her to pick up and almost impossible to reliably depart on.

Both front feet were cracked, chipped, flared, flaking, bent, broken, hyper-expanded, peeling, and irregular in shape. The hairlines at the coronary band were irregular in their slope from front to back with a serious up-arc

surfaces is paramount to the horse’s safety, health, and comfort. A nice way-of-going naturally follows if these criteria are met. It is built into almost every horse, but sometimes it just needs a little coaxing.

I followed the H.A.N.S. TRIM protocol (H.A.N.S. is an acronym for Hooves Are Naturally Strong) which took about 20 minutes for the front feet with a couple of stops to take pictures, and another 25 minutes to shape up the shoes and tap them on.

I developed the H.A.N.S. Trim method to provide a consistent technique of assessment and hoof trimming methodology. I had acquired a big, beautiful German Warmblood who was also over at the knees, and through him I first learned about shifting the fulcrum on the bottom of the hoof to bring “over at the knees” back to straight. The results have been nothing short of astonishing.

There are literally hundreds of different styles of horseshoes, all of which are used to enhance specific geometries or at least mitigate damage to the hoof. The foundation of every shoeing job is the trim, barefoot trims included. All too often overlooked are the potential ramifications of preparing the hoof without a mechanically useful outcome in mind. The large number of hoof deviations and permutations often leads people to believe that certain hoof types are the result of disease.

In fact, the hoof shapes themselves are the main contributors to many a lameness diagnosis. A healthy hoof shape is almost invariably a sound working hoof and the restoration of good hoof geometry leads to the rehabilitation of many horses. In the immortal words of Jessica Rabbit: “I’m not bad, I’m just drawn that way.”

Today, Tequila is showing well and getting call-backs in the jog. b Visit www.Hoofmakeover.ca for more information.

ARTICLE PHOTOS CONTINUE ON PAGES 22 TO 27

PHOTOS: HANS WIZA

just above the navicular joint, and the hooves lacked a uniform taper from front to back. The cannon bones were hanging behind the hoof. The hoof joint, the front of the carpus, and the scapular hinge weren’t in vertical alignment. The carpus was unable to lock at rest, and the mare’s neck and withers were quite hollow. The carpus needs to be locked in order for the stay apparatus to be brought into equilibrium. The knee needs to lock during the stance phase of the stride, albeit momentarily during the stride phase where the weight passes over top of it. The test to see if the carpus is locked is to swing one’s leg very lightly and bump just behind the horse’s knee. It ought to remain locked and there should be a rebound of your foot. (If you try this remember to swing very lightly as if you were pushing a kitten out of the way while you had an armful of hay.)

Tequila also has a history of being a shoe picker and has had shoes glued on which lasted only a maximum of ten days before she banished them to the “shoe trolls.”

Traditional hoof trimming is predicated upon the excavation of the soles and frogs. This secures adequate purchase for the nippers to bite off a chunk of hoof, and then provides sufficient wiggle room for a hoof rasp to render the ground surface of the hoof wall flat enough to receive the horseshoe nail. It is the hope of every owner and farrier that this will suffice the horse’s needs and that everyone is satisfied with the job. Most of all, the goal is for the horse to not limp and to keep the shoes on for a suitable period of time.

This is where it gets interesting. The visualization and the vector geometry calculations required to make all this happen are staggering in their complexity. This is the reason so many shoe jobs fail – because the traditional approach and the dogma that surrounds it simply does not work. Hoof trimming is almost universally taught from a two dimensional aspect and the hoof is very obviously three dimensional. The need to have congruent alignment of all the bones and joint

BEFORE: Tequila’s near fore, showing high heels and broken out quarters.

Notice how the hairline is beginning to level out and how there is a uniformity to the taper of the hoof from heel to toe. The boxy appearance is gone and the cannon bone is fully supported by the hoof.

The near fore, shod for second time at 27 days.

August 2015 • Canadian Horse Journal

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PHOTO: BOB LANGRISH

HORSE HEALTH

Managing the Laminitic & Foundered Horse with Sole Support

BY TABB PIG, CJF

When an equine athlete experiences an episode of laminitis or founder it can be a painful experience. While there are numerous studies and articles on the causes of these two maladies, there is also a general consensus on what the hoof capsule experiences after the episodes occur.

When a horse experiences a bout of laminitis, whether through injury, overfeeding, or metabolic issues, inflammation of the laminae occurs. The anatomy of the hoof is such that the insensitive 28

www.HORSEJournals.com • August 2015

laminae are attached to the hoof wall and the sensitive laminae are attached to the coffin bone. In the event of hoof trauma, the inflammation and reduction of blood flow can cause partial or total separation of the laminae, allowing the coffin bone to rotate downward.

Laminitis can show up as subtle lameness in the front feet, external bruising in the sole, or white line disease.

When this happens, the experience can be compared to pulling off your fingernail.

facing page: The characteristic stance of a laminitic horse includes hind feet brought forward under its belly in an effort to take weight off the front feet, which are stuck out in front of its normal centre of gravity.

The Anatomy of Laminitis and Founder The relationship between the sensitive and insensitive laminae inside the hoof wall is like interlacing fingers in a tight hold; once they start to loosen, it does not take much to pull them apart. At this point it would be described as founder. In acute stages of founder, the hoof’s exterior would not show signs or symptoms of the disease. Once the bone has rotated, founder can be detected by an x-ray. Because the fragile attachment of the laminae is the support of the horse’s body weight, it is critical to get a hoof care team involved to address the issue fast. Proper diagnosis and treatment are crucial to recovery.

above: The veterinarian, farrier, and horse owner must work together in the diagnosis and management of acute founder or laminitis to ensure the best recovery. left: Pour-in pads are an effective way to help support the sole and relieve stress. They are easy to apply, set quickly, and produce a soft, resilient supportive pad material.

PHOTO COURTESY OF VETTEC

Traditional methods of treating founder have varied and progressed over time. With today’s methods, an equine athlete can be expected to recover to a normal life in most cases. Past methods have included heart bar and egg bar shoes, a shoe nailed on backwards, and wedge pads. The only shoe that truly provides any type of support for the laminitic horse is a heart bar.

Application of a heart bar shoe should be a very precise procedure, requiring training and x-rays for proper placement. If necessary, a vet may call for pads. In some cases, pads may allow sand and moisture to collect under the pad, which can be trapped between the pad and the foot. If the horse abscesses, the shoe will have to be removed for treatment. With any of these applications, the coffin bone and sole have limited support. Without solar or frog support, there will still be stress on the interior laminae.

When a farrier shoes the horse, all of the weight is placed on the hoof wall. When the horse moves, the coffin bone and sole are moving downward toward the ground. This creates more stress on the already inflamed laminae. The goal is to minimize stress, and support the boney column and sole. During this phase the hoof care team strives to relieve the stress between the hoof wall and the laminae. The most effective way to do that is to protect the hoof with a pad or a pour-in pad. These packages are designed to increase surface area for weight bearing so that the sole can take on some of the horse’s weight, and not just the hoof wall. Historically, it was thought that anything you put underneath a pad would help protect and cushion the sole of the horse. This, however, is not always the case. For instance, traditional silicone from the hardware store has been used under a pad, despite some of its challenges. Some drawbacks of traditional silicone include: • A long set time of 24 hours • Messy application • The acid-base can leave a smelly residue • The material does not absorb concussions, sending the pressure up the horse’s leg

PHOTO: ©ISTOCKPHOTO/FOTOEDU

Treatment

August 2015 • Canadian Horse Journal

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Riding arenas have the potential to be a rider’s dream.

And just like the horse’s training regimen, it all comes down to the foundation.

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PHOTO: REITENRIGHT

What Lies Beneath

here is some complex engineering involved in arena footing construction. If you are thinking of investing in building an arena, there are also some important factors to consider – factors that can influence either the advancement of your horse’s performance – or put him at risk for lameness or ligament/muscle injury. In addition, the degree to which you pay attention to dust control, especially in an indoor arena, will directly affect the quality of health of your horse, yourself, and others who also use the arena, not just riders and instructors, but onlookers, helpers, and others, too.

“Regardless of the intended arena use, horse health should be the primary concern,” says Dave Heaton with Conterra Industries in Strathmore, Alberta. “For North Americans not living in southern USA, we live in one of the harshest environments to maintain consistent footing, whether indoor or out. If someone intends to build an arena, it should be considered a 10 to 20 year investment.”

To an unseasoned eye, a hogfuel/woodchip arena or one with a sandy surface may at first look like the perfect entry point to start training. But woodchips can induce slipping, while certain sands can induce tripping.

The real place to start for that perfect arena is in what lies beneath.

“Your base is the most important thing,” says Alex von Hauff with Strathcona Ventures in Sherwood Park, Alberta. “You can spend a million dollars on the base and $5,000 on sand and you’ll be happy. If you spend $5,000 on the base and a million on sand, you’ll always be unhappy. Spend most of your money on your base and drainage.”

The three primary considerations for arena placement are location on your property in relation to ground water, access to that water for watering the arena as part of its regular maintenance, and access to the site for trucks and equipment. Depending on your chosen riding discipline, your arena must provide stable,

PHOTO: WIKIMEDIA/AIIX

T

BY MARGARET EVANS

secure footing that allows the horse to transition in and out of movements. You must have access to sufficient water and, if budget allows, a sprinkler system to water the arena for both dust control and before regular light harrowing, or grooming, to level it. And, of course, you must have the equipment for the regular maintenance needs for the expected life of the arena.

“Drainage of your arena is very important,” says Christi Capozzi, sales and marketing coordinator with ReitenRight Equestrian Inc. “Poor drainage can lead to inconsistent footing that can cause injury to your horse or cause the horses to punch through the footing into the base and damage the base, which is an expensive fix. It is important to do your research, pick a location for your arena that promotes drainage, install a good drainage system and get your drainage right the first time.”

Heaton says that the three main components of an arena are the base, the subsurface, and the top dressing.

“Bases are made mainly of clay,” he says. “How much base is dependent on arena placement, the local soil conditions, and your local environment. What works at

above, top: The amount of dust in your arena will impact the health of horse and rider, and everyone else who uses the ring. above, bottom: Footing should be designed around the types of activities that will be ridden in the arena most frequently.

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The saddle should sit in your horse’s saddle support area, with the tree points behind the shoulder, and no further back than the 18th thoracic vertebra.

PHOTO: ©CANSTOCKPHOTO/ZUZULE

18th Thoracic Vertebra

Symptomatic

Lameness Why is my horse lame?

Why does he keep stumbling?

Why does he seem to trip over his own feet?

The horse suffering from back pain or injuries can exhibit symptomatic lameness, which can also manifest as behaviour issues including stubbornness or resistance. When the horse is displaying symptoms of lameness and logical treatments are not working, the horse’s owner may turn to injections, anti-inflammatory creams, or chiropractic adjustments at the sacroiliac joint. But by observing horse and rider at various gaits, the horse owner may perceive another cause of lameness — poor saddle fit.

Symptomatic lameness often appears as a problem in the right hind leg. We have found that horses with symptomatic lameness in the right hind fall into the majority of horses (70 percent) more strongly muscled on the left shoulder. This unevenness can be easily seen by viewing the horse over its rump. There are many theories concerning the natural asymmetry of horse

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BY JOCHEN SCHLEESE, CMS, CSFT, CSE

musculature — some scientists think there is a natural genetic predisposition, or that it is due to the way the equine embryo grows in the womb. It can also be exacerbated as a result of the influence of domestication and training of the horse. Regardless of the origins, this asymmetry has definite implications for saddle fit.

When the horse is in the cross-ties, the average fitted saddle appears to fit well. A chain reaction starts when the horse moves, beginning with a scapular rotation upwards and backwards. Saddles that are not adjusted to properly fit the larger shoulder will be tight and put more pressure on it. Additionally, the larger shoulder will push and therefore twist the saddle to the right. This has further implications for the rider’s position and balance, but this article will focus on the repercussions for the horse.

The shifting of the saddle to the right causes the left panel to impinge against the left side of the horse’s spine, reducing proper function, with resulting inflammation over the sacroiliac. This also occurs in the opposite direction, although less often.

To compensate for the saddle twisting to the right against the spine, the rider leans to the left to maintain balance, causing increased pressure on left side of the

Shoulder rotation during leg movement.

1. Horse Standing 2. Foreleg Lifted 3. 3 Extended Foreleg

2 3

horse’s back. This may result in a subluxation at the sacroiliac joint and pelvic intersection, causing a misalignment of the horse’s back.

By understanding the key points of saddle fit, the horse owner can recognize the basics and help determine the causes of symptomatic lameness and how they can result in behavioural issues if the saddle fits poorly. Most important to recognize are the tree points (width and angle) and the saddle support area of the horse. Although most riders know there should be two to three fingers’ width of clearance at the withers, there also must be sufficient clearance all around the withers.

The tree point angle at the gullet plate needs to be parallel to the shoulder angle – not the wither angle – in order to allow the shoulder to properly move. The cartilage will protect the shoulder bone as it moves between the deep-lying spinalis, rhomboid, and longissimus muscles and the superficial trapezius during motion of the horse. However, if the tree points are forward facing or too narrow, this cartilage can be severely and irreparably damaged over time. One behaviour that can result from poorly adjusted tree points is what is termed stubbornness.

Remember, this area over the withers is where the stallion bites the mare to immobilize her and prepare her for breeding. It’s the same result (with different inputs) — the rider is on top urging the horse forward — reflexively however, the horse doesn’t want to move.

If the saddle is too long for the saddle support area, the most commonly affected vertebrae are the last two thoracic and the first two lumbar (T17-T18-L1-L2).

Additional issues arise when the panels twist or fall to the side and shove the vertebral spinous processes to the left or the right because of greater muscling at one shoulder.

The resulting pain also causes the horse to protectively tighten the back muscle (longissimus dorsi), which further pulls the vertebrae out of alignment. Therefore, either direct trauma or secondary muscle traction are to blame for a resulting occurrence of lameness.

The shoulder is impacted by tree points.

1

2 1

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PHOTOS: SCHLEESE SADDLERY

Shoulder-blade rotation and movement during different foreleg motion. It is obvious that a saddle with an incorrectly adjusted tree angle, incorrect tree width, or when its tree points are angled forward, as in this illustration, can cause potentially serious issues at the shoulder.

right: This saddle’s gullet channel is too narrow and the saddle has shifted to the left.

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Infrared thermographic imaging showing increased temperature in the region of the subluxation in the SI joint area.

Upper right subluxation in the sacroiliac joint.

left: In addition to two to three fingers clearance on the top of the withers, a saddle must allow enough clearance on the sides of the withers to accommodate the shoulder rotation and allow full and free range of motion.

PHOTO: ©CANSTOCKPHOTO/ASHVA777

Flying Changes for Alberta’s Horse Industry

BY MARGARET EVANS

S

hortly before the Alberta election in May, the Conservative Government eliminated a number of positions in Agriculture and Forestry, including the position of horse specialist held by Les Burwash.

Burwash held the position for some 40 years and, with his colleagues, they created the Alberta Horse Improvement Program, an evaluation system that horse enthusiasts could use to purchase and assess horses. An expert in his equine field, he conducted extensive research and surveys, was known and loved throughout the industry and gained the respect of the horse industry across Canada.

Like all industries, though, Burwash saw a changing landscape in the Alberta horse industry, much of it for the better but some he felt would pose challenges. With

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the new NDP government now in place, it’s a good time to look at the value of the horse industry to Alberta’s economy and recognize its enormous contribution to the province’s history and heritage.

Alberta was built on the back of a horse even before European settlers arrived. First Nations peoples valued horses in every aspect of their society from hunting, exploration, transportation, trade, and recreation to tribal and spiritual values. As the province grew, horses were central to all levels of society such as land clearing, logging, agriculture, business, and transportation.

“Horses have long been a part of Alberta,” says Jean Kruse, president of the Horse Industry Association of Alberta. “They were instrumental in helping build the province and continue to be a part of a diverse industry.

It will be important to educate this new government on

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GRADED STAKES GLORY STARTS HERE KEENELAND SEPTEMBER YEARLING SALE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 – SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 26

BOOK REVIEW

Life Without Stirrups A WITTY MEMOIR ABOUT ONE PERSON’S GALLOP THROUGH LIFE

By Dagny Mofid 307 pages, $17.47 Amazon.ca ISBN 1507624859 Paperback REVIEWED BY MARGARET EVANS Dagny Mofid did what all of us dream of sooner or later. She bought her own horse. She didn’t have aspiring competitive goals and she wasn’t a seasoned long distance backcountry rider. With riding experience stashed up as a child and then resumed as a young adult, her equine clock was ticking, and the idea of having a horse of her own for some gentle riding was like a mid-term elixir.

In her absolutely delightful, witty, funny, and bare-all emotions memoir Life Without Stirrups (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform) she shares the wonders, challenges, triumphs and emotional pitfalls of equine ownership.

“Like a thirtyish woman who starts hearing the faint yet demanding tick of her biological clock, as I approach forty I began hearing my horse-ownership clock…. This was when my mind began staging regular arguments with me. Why wait? Do you want to be fifty when you get your first horse? Now is the time. Go for it! You only live once! Yes, horses are really expensive, but it’s just like having an additional car payment…”

Enter Merlot.

Now, buying a horse named after the colour of wine smacks of romance, but the three-year-old Arab had more than his share of defining effervescent moments.

Challenges came from all directions, from entering his stall to something as simple as turn-out. According to Dagny’s candid assessment, after two months of ownership and her Arab’s professional training, Merlot’s likes were food, bucking, galloping, and rolling in dust. His dislikes were everything else in the world. Observations were anger management issues (kick first, ask questions later), and his potential for improvement was to be determined. But he was healthy, had perfect conformation, great feet, smooth gaits, was the perfect size, and was unashamedly pretty.

“My only real problem was that he needed a lobotomy,” wrote Dagny of her “Evil Demon.”

From Washington State, Dagny and husband Kam moved to Texas where Merlot’s training and attitude 60

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adjustment efforts continued. By now, Kam had been bitten by the riding bug and “Maximus,” a quiet, 16-year-old Appendix Quarter Horse, joined the trio.

Kam idolized Maximus, who was underweight and with the scars of a less-than-ideal life behind him. He scoured the planet looking for the best grain, hay, and vitamin supplements money could buy to put weight on his horse’s bones and a shine back in his coat.

Kam, a corporate executive, travelled extensively. But at home he found in Maximus his decompression centre.

“After he slept off jetlag, I would often find Kam in the backyard, quietly grooming Maximus,” writes Mofid.

“The horse, like an old soul, had a strange ability to absorb Kam’s worries.”

Quickly, Merlot and Maximus became pasture mates and a lifestyle of cleaning barns, cleaning horses and the aromatic scent and sound of soft leather became their mantra.

But life had a few bucks to give the Mofids. They faced another move, this time to California. Dagny overcame a cancer encounter with melanoma. And she needed to face a monumental decision for Merlot who was, in many ways, too much horse for her to handle despite all the progress they had made. He needed new opportunities more suited to his enduring spirit.

“Montana” would fill the void left by her beloved Arabian and become the new pasture mate of Maximus.

It was all Kam’s idea, buying the big Quarter Horse with foot problems. But he poured love and nutrients into the appreciative equine and after a year of nurturing, he became sound enough to ride.

A final move took them to Saint George, Utah, a red desert place where the stark beauty of sandstone cliffs and desert washes bridged a peace that settled in Dagny’s soul. The trails and trials of life found the Mofids appreciating slower, simpler, more profoundly meaningful things - rides through red rock canyons, pinyon pine forests, and soft gurgling rivers while inhaling the smell of eucalyptus or creosote after a desert rain.

“In truth, I never became the rider I wanted to be,” Mofid shared candidly in a statement many relate to.

“Confident riders give a horse confidence. For me, it was the other way around. It is truly important to ride the right horse for you. I recommend Grandma-safe ‘babysitter’ horses over the age of 15. And when you find one, never let go – like good husbands, they are gems.”

The couple has a uniquely special life that continues to unfold in the company of horses that are always looking eagerly around every curve and contently at the trailer that takes them safely back home.

Life Without Stirrups is a treasure and an absolute must-read. It’s available at www.amazon.ca and www.amazon.com. b

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