Sandhills Equestrian Magazine December

December 2023

From Craigslist to BreyerFest Pointing to Hoffman Carolina All-Age & Derby Jamboree

Vanessa Grebe Equine Artist

Senior Horse Care | Unwanted Guests | Horse Purchase

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In this Issue Cover story 24 From Craigslist to BreyerFest

Features 14 32 37 42

24

The Ageless Rider Pointing to Hoffman

Time to Take a Break Vanessa Grebe Equestrian Artist

Departments 4 8 10 20 46 48 51 52

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Senior Nutrition Buying a New Horse Holiday Gift Guide Unwanted Barn Guests Let’s Find Them a Home Calendar Marketplace Advertising Index

32 42

Publisher Sandhills EQM, LLC Layout and Design Sandhills EQM, LLC Contributors Ray Owen Jan Leitschuh Mary McCashin Fran Severn Cassidy Oeltjen Christina Boucher Reynolds Greg Girard Amanda Delgado Tom Shea Moore County Hist. Assoc.

Diane McKay Lisa Miyamoto Eliza Syndor Romm Jason Jackson Kris Hayes Ines Ritter Jennie Acklin

Hello

Sandhills Equestrians!

Welcome to the fifth issue of our equestrian magazine. This issue introduces us to several new things - Amanda and Athena’s Western Pleasure Championship and Breyer’s Horse of the Year announcement, Field Trials with horses and riders and dogs in Hoffman, Getting Back in the Saddle after a hiatus, and several seasonal articles and tips. And some ideas for Holiday Gift Giving for Equestrians.

Our issues have been warmly received by this community - thank you everyone who picked up a copy to read. Sandhills Equestrian Magazine is published monthly in print and digitally on our website. Follow us on our social media pages and enjoy new information. Register for our emails and giveaways at sandhillseqm.com. Please share the news about Sandhills Equestrian Magazine with your fellow equestrians!

Thank you for reading our magazine.

Thank you to our advertisers who support this magazine.

Team SEQM

Advertising & Subscriptions Jennie Acklin 814-688-0083 Jennie@sandhillseqm.com General Inquiries info@sandhillseqm.com Cover Amanda Delgado and Athena Photographed by JasonJackson Follow us on

www.sandhillseqm.com Sandhills Equestrian Magazine owned by Sandhills EQM LLC P.O.Box 273 Southern Pines, NC 28388

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SEQM Educational Series

Nutrition

Feeding the senior horse Thanks to modern changes in management and veterinary practices, horses are living longer and enjoying more productive years. The way we view “senior” horses has changed too.

When does a horse become a “senior”?

Most professionals have stopped giving an age cut off for seniors. While 15 used to be considered a senior horse, most horses are happily thriving well past that age. I encourage people to pay attention to the horse in front of them and make note of when ‘what has always worked’ in the diet isn’t working anymore. This could be at age 18 or it could be at age 30. You may notice a need for increased calories to maintain condition, horses “quidding” or dropping balls of partially chewed hay, or a decrease in muscling. There are many places where appropriate

nutrition can help horses live longer and happier lives, and there are lots of professionals who are happy to help you navigate it!

Changing “keeper” status Changing metabolic statuses and aging teeth can change how horses utilize the feed and forage available to them. The horse that used to stay fat and glossy on hay and pasture alone may start looking lean, or conversely the horse that has always required two square meals a day may suddenly look plump.

One of the first signs owners may see for PPID/Cushing’s is their horse suddenly doesn’t hold weight or muscle like they used to. Conversely, one of the first signs of equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) or insulin dysregulation (ID) could be an over conditioned horse (carrying more weight) with no diet change. Both

of those medical conditions warrant a call to your regular veterinarian, or a specialist/referral facility if your regular vet isn’t comfortable with those diagnostics. Both disorders have aspects that can be improved with diet.

Keeping the starch and sugar levels low is helpful in general, and absolutely critical in many cases. Providing a high plane of nutrition with optimal vitamins, minerals and amino acids is always advised. You can read more about the nutritional management of those disorders in the November issue of Sandhills Equestrian.

Senior teeth For horses who have changing dentition - worn or missing teeth, or smooth grinding surfaces - providing alternate sources of forage becomes critical to maintaining a healthy body weight and keeping the digestive system functioning

Christina Boucher Reynolds, PAS Christina is a graduate of NCSU’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences with a degree in Animal Science and concentration in nutrition. She has a professional animal scientist certification in equine, beef cattle and nutrient management from The American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists. Christina has worked in the nutrition and vet med industries in several capacities and currently works for Triple Crown helping horse owners navigate feeding and managing their horses.

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normally. Senior horses should have their teeth examined with a speculum and lights at least once a year, and in many cases should be checked every six months. Your vet will be able to advise when your horse needs more regular checkups due to wear or damage.

As horses age, their molars stop erupting continuously and the chewing surface becomes smooth which reduces their ability to grind grass and hay. It is important to keep in mind that the teeth are the only point in the whole digestive tract where fiber length can be shortened. For horses who are no longer able to shorten fiber effectively we can provide a product that has been pre-shortened like a bagged chopped forage, a soaked hay cube, soaked hay pellet, beet pulp or complete feed.

stemmy mature hay with regards to the teeth but also in the hindgut. The small intestine may also lose some function and make protein digestion harder.

We want to make sure senior horses are provided both enough crude protein but also make sure the protein that is provided is high quality (improved amino acid balance) so the liver and kidneys don’t have to work extra excreting waste. By providing sufficient high-quality protein paired with appropriate exercise, we can help prevent the loss of topline and muscling that some aged horses experience. High

My goal is to keep a horse on the longest fiber length that they can utilize for as long as possible. So, for horses who can’t handle regular long stem hay, I’ll recommend a chopped forage and when that doesn’t work, I’ll recommend a soaked hay cube, and after that a soaked hay pellet etc. Forage should still make up most of the horse’s diet at 1.5-2.5% of ideal body weight daily, even when regular hay is no longer an option. All forage replacers should be weighed dry before soaking to ensure the correct amount is being fed, and you can count hay products, beet pulp and complete feeds toward that percentage.

Digestion and absorption The National Research Council (NRC) publishes nutrient requirements of horses at different life stages, and a nutrition advisor or nutritionist can help you apply those to your feeding program while taking your senior horse into consideration.

As animals age, they can become less effective at utilizing nutrients provided in their diets and its hindgut may lose some of its ability to ferment fiber which means a higher quality hay may be needed. A high-quality grass hay or grass mix hay would be preferable to a

All feeds should have a purpose statement on the tag, which can help guide you in selecting the right one. There should also be a section on the tag with minimum feeding requirements for that specific product, and if you find your horse is eating less than the minimum recommended amount, they should have a partial serving of ration balancer or a vitamin/mineral supplement added to it. Senior feeds have a wide range of calories per pound. Finding one with a higher caloric amount will decrease the amount you need to feed daily, saving

Senior feeding recommendations apply to our long eared equine friends as well- donkeys and mules!

quality protein sources include alfalfa, soybean meal and novel sources like pea protein, canola meal, or lupins.

Simplifying the feed room Feeding a high-quality senior feed at the appropriate amount can make feeding these horses a little simpler.

There are many senior feeds on the market, and it can be overwhelming to make a choice. Look for a feed that is readily available to you- the feed store should keep plenty in stock and get regular deliveries, so the feed is fresh.

Most senior feeds have a shelf life of 60 to 90 days after milling.

you money in the long run. Choosing a senior feed with enough essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals reduces the needs for costly supplements.

Some feeds offer gut health packages an effective amount of probiotics will have the CFUs listed in billions rather than millions. Yeasts are a valuable ingredient with peer reviewed science to support increased feed conversion/ weight gain, better immune response and improved gut health. Starch and sugar levels also vary between feeds, and generally it is recommended to look for feeds with “low carbs” (starch, water soluble carbohydrates, ethanol

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We have the right feed & supplies for everyone in your barn.

soluble carbohydrates, nonstructural carbohydrates). Some feed tags have this printed on the guaranteed analysis, some will have it on their website and some you will have to call the company to verify amounts. All companies should be able to provide that information to you, and typically can also provide you with complimentary nutrition consultations from either a PhD nutritionist or a trained nutrition advisor.

Many feed companies offer forage replacers such as bagged chopped forage, fermented haylage, hay cubes, and hay pellets. Again, choose a product that your local feed store keeps in stock regularly to minimize disruptions to your horse’s diet.

Key messages: -Pay attention to the horse in front of you and adjust the diet when needed.

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-Senior horses still need 1.5-2.5% of their bodyweight daily in forage. The forage base of the diet may need to change as their teeth age. Grass, hay, hay cubes, hay pellets, hay stretcher, complete feeds and beet pulp can all count towards that number and should always be weighed dry.

-Professionals are happy to help you keep your horse living a long and happy life- a relationship with your vet to stay on top of “old horse” disorders and teeth; a nutritionist to help you optimize the diet; a farrier providing balanced and comfortable feet.

-Cushing’s/PPID, insulin resistant/ insulin dysregulated/metabolic horses are going to need diets that take starch and sugar levels into account.

- All these recommendations apply to our long eared equine friends as welldonkeys and mules!

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-Old horses can and should maintain a body condition score of 4.5-5.5. If you’re running into issues keeping them at an ideal weight, reach out to a professional for assistance.

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SEQM Educational Series

Horse Purchase

Shopping for Your Dream Horse: Guide for the adult amateur horse buying process Before spending late nights perusing cryptically worded Facebook ads and surfing sale websites, it’s important to get really clear with yourself on what it is that you want and need in a horse

and what things you are flexible on. If some of your non-negotiables are things like sex or color or breed, acknowledge that you are going to miss out on a large portion of the horse population.

There are tons of attributes and characteristics of horses and understanding which ones are important to you will help to narrow down the search and ensure you get what you want in the end. Start by scheduling a time (and pay for a lesson) with your trainer and talk about your goals and things you should look for in a horse that are REALISTIC as well as EXCITING.

Will your trainer help you to both look for a horse (time consuming) and as well as going to try the horse? How does payment work? Commissions?

Flat fee? Talk about it, and be open from the beginning. If you’ve ridden one horse for a long time, see if there’s a way to ride a few different horses in lessons to feel out your preferences for things such as level of sensitivity, and movement. This will also help you fell more confident riding strange horses.

Write down your dream horse.

Age, sex, color, breed, height, level of training, show experience, temperament, and even things like markings should be considered. Then mark what things are non-negotiable

Define your trainer’s role

If you are actively searching, do your homework and ask for help when you’ve narrowed it down to a top 5 list.

Sending your trainer multiple videos a day to ‘check out’ is not a good use of anyone’s time.

Looking at a non-local horse? What should you ask for?

You can start by asking for a video of anything that is non-negotiable to you - a short video of the horse loading or maybe trail riding with a buddy. Maybe also video of an unedited training session or watch live through FaceTime. Make a list of questions and call the seller. You can also check their scores on associations, do some Facebook stalking, or a Google search.

Request photos and videos from directly in front, directly behind, walking and trotting toward the camera for analysis of conformation and soundness. Many higher priced horses also already have x-rays available. If one of your non negotiable is perfect X-rays (you’re deluding yourself) and you can go ahead request the x-rays so your vet can tell you ‘no’.

Eliza Syndor Romm

ELIZA SYDNOR ROMM EPITOMIZES A CLASSICALLY TRAINED DRESSAGE RIDER, TRAINER AND INSTRUCTOR. Eliza is a successful competitor and a sought-after trainer. In 2007 Eliza made history by becoming the youngest person in the United States to receive her USDF Training-Fourth Level Instructor Certification.

Eliza is the daughter of Cindy Sydnor, a well respected dressage trainer from North Carolina who was long listed for the USET from 1976 – 1979.

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Trying the horse On the day of trying the horse, bring your trainer (and pay them for their time). Get there early, and make sure your intentions are clear. “I want to see grooming and tacking up, so please don’t have them all tacked up when we get there.”

Or maybe you don’t care about that and want to go ahead and get on as soon as possible.

Try to spend time alone with the horse either before and/or after the ride grooming, leading, picking up feet, checking legs, and getting an overall feel for the horse’s personality.

Make sure that you watch someone else ride first! When you do get on, know that it may take some time to figure out a new horse - it’s going to be different.

But if you feel unsafe - say so and dismount!

Make sure that you see any nonnegotiables - trailering, catching in a field, etc…

Albion

Cavallo

Correct Connect

it personally, and treat it as you would any business transaction, even though you probably have a lot of emotions tied up in this future star.

Chemistry between horse and rider is a real thing, and if you feel none, it’s ok to say that and move along. If it’s possible, ride a second time. If you’re still on the fence and close enough to ride more than two times, offer to pay for a lesson. If more people are scheduled to come try the horse, a deposit would be appropriate, or you’ll have to take the risk that someone else might beat you to purchasing it.

Recognize that many people can give good homes, and be honest about what you have to offer both in terms of money and future lifestyle.

Good luck

Negotiating Start discussing possible negotiations before the pre-purchase exam (PPE), acknowledging that major findings might change your offer or even cancel it all together. Offering 10% less than the asking price is pretty standard.

Making an offer that is more than 15% below asking price should have a good reason and be thoughtfully explained.

After the PPE and consulting with your trainer and vet, a lower offer could be made if findings on the exam warrant.

As in any negotiation, try not to take

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Holiday

Gift Guide

Happy Holidays! It is the time of Holiday cheer, food, and giving! We all know shopping for others is not always easy and can get overwhelming. We are here to help with our Sandhills Equestrian Holiday Gift Guide. We chose a few products from local Tack and Feedstores in the area to make your shopping more manageable so you can spend more time at the barn while supporting our local vendors.

For The

Horse It’s the German Horse Muffin with a sweet minty center!

Each muffin is a decadent blend of sweet feed and molasses, oats, bran, wheat flour, soybean meal, dehydrated alfalfa meal, vitamins and more. Made with a delicious peppermint candy.

Get them at: Aberdeen Feed and Supply.

Grooming made easy with the Epona Ulta-Mitt!

The Ulta-Mitt™ is a multi-purpose grooming aid that you will find yourself reaching for again and again. It can be used wet as a bathing mitt or dry to remove dirt, dust, and sweat marks. This grooming glove also helps stimulate natural oil production throughout the coat.

Available at: Cabin Branch Tack Shop in Southern Pines.

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m o t s Cmu ade Equi-Prism Delux Haybag!

This deluxe hay bag is designed to have no stress points and is exceptionally strong and durable! Easy to load and hang with the included strap featuring two heavy duty stainless steel snaps. They come in two sizes and you pick your own fully custom colors! Add a slow-feed option for only $5.

Purchase one at: equi-prism.com.

For The

Equestrian QHP Water Proof Winter Gloves!

•

Equipped with a special fabric on the index finger and thumb so that you can use it with gloves on your phone • Sporty look thanks to the silicone stripes on the • back of the hand • The fabric on the inside provides a good grip • Decorated with piping with text print • Equipped with rein reinforcement between the ring finger and little finger and between the index finger and thumb

Get them at: shoproyalequine.com.

2023 Breyer Holiday Horse!

While the winter brings with it shorter days, its dark evenings truly allow the season’s beauty to shine. Through the dark, evergreen woods emerges Highlander, a beautiful warmblood.

His warm golden buckskin coat gleams in the moonlight, as snowflakes and gems glitter on his elaborate satin plaid blanket. Dressed in his finest, his elegant look is completed with gem-studded reins, making him truly look like a prince of the winter woodlands. Features “Happy Holidays 2023” on his belly.

This is the 27th release in a collectible series!

Available at: M&M Tack Shop in Raleigh.

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Staying Dry in Style!

Made with handcrafted Chamolux rubber and the best of boot technology, Le Chameau’s range of women’s low wellies give you the quality protection you need for all your country pursuits.

From long country walks and days out in the field to gardening and daily ventures, these premium boots are durable and comfortable for occasion with the freedom and breathability that comes with a shorter length.

Get them at: Moore Equine Feed and Pet Supply in Southern Pines.

rent e f f i D es and Styl olors C

For The

Barn Less of a Mess with the OptiMizer!

Horses quickly learn how to eat hay from the OptiMizer. It mimics natural grazing. The horses eat slowly. They have their heads down in a natural position. They select, nibble, and chew their hay—just like they would be eating in the pasture. They’re so content when they’re eating together.

• • • • • • •

Clean hay is always available Eating is slow and relaxed Horses’ heads are down in a natural position Horses take small bites The netting provides positive, relaxing oral stimulation and is gentle on lips, gums, and teeth Easy and fast to refill Paddocks are cleaner with little wasted hay to clean up

Available at: Carthage Farm Supply.

Spread The “Joy”!

No chains or belts here! All Newer Spreaders are ground driven with a simple engagement lever on each wheel to tap when you are ready to spread. They are compact enough to fit through most stall doors. Every Newer Spreader comes with a 1-year factory warranty and is proudly made in the U.S.A. • • • • • •

No belts or chains!

Aluminum hopper panels Hopper agitator Solid tractor tread tires Lightweight aluminum construction Pull using golf cart, ATV, or garden tractor

Available at: Aberdeen Feed.

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made

in the US

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New & Gently Used: Saddles, Bridles, Reins, Bits, Boots, Breeches, Shirts, Jackets, Books, Gifts Artwork

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The Ageless Equestrian There’s no expiration date to enjoy time at the barn.

By Fran Severn

F

or many of us, the chance to start horseback riding is a dream come true. Even if we didn’t ride as kids, we grew up reading ‘Misty of Chincoteague,’ watching My Friend Flicka on Saturday mornings, collecting Breyer horses, and promising ourselves that one day we’d step into stirrups and finally be astride a horse.

If we did ride as youngsters (lucky you), school, jobs, family, and just life in general almost inevitably supplanted those happy hours at the barn.

Now it’s all changed. The kids are grown and gone, and our obligations outside house and career are winding down. The chance to make some ‘me time’ at the stable is here.

But now doubts about following through with this new adventure pop up. The stereotype of riders is of agile young women wearing designer breeches and riding their own horses.

Or of small children bouncing around on Thelwell ponies. Or of giggling teenagers jumping event horses. Where does a ‘mature’ rider, particularly a beginner, fit in?

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Go online to any social media group dedicated to ‘our’ demographic and the same worries are repeated. Can we find happiness at a stable despite our creaking joints, when we can’t climb into the saddle without a mounting block, and don’t know the difference between a fetlock and a farrier?

Absolutely! Talk to riding instructors and you’ll learn that older riders are welcome additions to a riding program.

There’s a bit of economic reality here - since women over 60 are the fastestgrowing segment of the riding world and their lesson fees help their stable’s bottom line. But there’s another aspect to the changing demographic that instructors love - many times older riders are their easiest and most enjoyable students.

A lot of it is attitude. Every stable is a unique community, but they share some common ‘residents.’ The usual scenarios include excitable kids whose antics sometimes make herding cats seem manageable; overly involved parents who interfere with lessons; angst-ridden teenagers; the chaos of

preparing for shows every weekend; and the inevitability of a horse getting injured or ill and needing a vet ‘right now!’

In contrast, we older riders are calmer, more mature, less demanding, and a welcome relief from the rest of the commotion. We are more respectful and treat our instructors as the professionals they are. We appreciate the time and effort they’ve invested in learning their skills and how hard they work to pass those along to us.

In return, we are dedicated to putting those lessons to use, be it posting a trot on the correct diagonal or picking out hooves. To be sure, our coordination is not what it was, and it takes us longer to develop the muscle memory that lets us give the right cues to our horses.

But many schooling horses have been ridden by beginners since Bill Clinton was President, so they understand us and patiently wait while we learn.

For most of us, we’re riding to have fun. Instructors are happy to let us concentrate on that and leave the pressure to perform and ‘advance’

IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO START A LIFE WITH HORSES Are you a woman at midlife or beyond? Have you just discovered you have a passion for horses?

Or maybe you've now found time for them after years devoted to a job and family? Surveys show that riders over the age of 40 are the fastest growing segment of the equestrian world—so you are far from alone!

With carefully curated guidance collected over years of horsing around, rider and writer Fran Severn wants to embolden and empower you with tips, lessons, and advice as you begin enjoying a life with horses in it. In these pages, you'll find options for: • Riding…and not riding (but still having horses in your life).

• Finding an instructor and being a good student.

• Coming to grips with what your body can and can't do in terms of fitness, weight, and fear.

• Understanding the realities of arthritis, menopause, and changing vision, hearing, and breathing.

• Knowing the rules for buying, leasing, and boarding horses.

• Dealing with family and horse-related finances. ... and much more!

TRAFALGAR SQUARE BOOKS HORSEANDRIDERBOOKS.COM 15

to their other students.

They let the riders guide the lessons. There’s no embarrassment that others will see you fumbling as you try something for the first time. If cantering seems too challenging, then spending the time trotting is fine. If your perfect day is a quiet trail ride, enjoy it.

For most of us, competition is not on our bucket list, unless it’s riding in a few classes at a small, local “No pressure; just have show. Even then, it’s more fun” is the mantra. about having a nice day out with our horses and friends than earning points Many stables offer group lessons for to qualify for Dressage at Devon. “No older riders. They’re often scheduled in pressure; just have fun” is the mantra. the middle of the day when the stable Set your own goals and ride for the is otherwise quiet. It becomes a social simple pleasure that it brings. outing for like-minded ladies enjoying

a bit of riding, exercise, and fun. It’s something that playing Bingo at the Senior Center just can’t match. Instructors say this creates a closely-knit group that encourages each other during lessons. That carries over outside the arena as the women become friends, sharing similar life experiences. Some stables host Happy Hours or plan field trips to Equine Expos or non-horsey activities.

As impossible as it sounds, many women are passionate about wanting to ride, but are equally terrified of doing so. Thinking that having such fears is silly, they talk themselves out of signing up for lessons. continued on page 18

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You are not alone. Fear is probably the most common concern of older riders.

It’s not irrational. We are, after all, interacting with an animal that weighs half a ton and has its own agenda.

The ‘what ifs’ are endless. We can get stepped on, kicked, or tumble off. The ground seems to get harder as we get older, or as Roy Rogers said, “When you’re my age and you fall off, you splatter.” Far from embarrassing you, instructors respect the nerve it takes to work through the situation. (Some of them know the fear personally. Heather Wallace, author of The Timid Rider, left riding for nearly 20 years because of anxieties.)

Time spent at the stable also earns points for physical and mental health.

Many studies show that just being outside is vital to good overall health. A fifteen- or twenty-minute stroll around the neighborhood is beneficial, but that routine can get boring. Hanging out at the stable, however, means something new every day.

Riding, of course, requires physical strength and flexibility and burns calories. But grooming, mucking out, feeding, dropping hay, and even chasing after a horse that doesn’t want to come in are also good forms of exercise. Who needs a gym?

Riding is a new experience that requires us to learn new skills and a new vocabulary in a new environment that’s filled with new people. Challenging ourselves mentally that way not only staves off ‘senior moments,’ but gives us a more positive overall attitude toward life, makes us better able to deal with disappointments, and improves our ability to solve problems. And the social aspect of the community at the barn avoids the isolation so many seniors experience.

So feel comfortable joining the ranks of senior riders! Check the websites of local stables and see which ones sound inviting. Make a call and schedule a visit; join a group lesson; live that longpostponed dream. You’ve waited long enough, now go enjoy it!

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SEQM Educational Series

Barn Maintenance

Remove, Relocate, Repair The 3 R’s to Successfully Saying Goodbye to Surprise Guests You’re making your way down the barn aisle, gently being serenaded by the relaxing sound of horses munching hay. One of them softly snorts as a cow moos in the distance. Your footsteps echo against the cool night air as the dog corners a scurrying creature in the corner of the feed room.

Wait… what?

That’s not how you saw your nightcheck going, yet here you are, trying to keep the dog separated from his natural herding/killing/protecting desire - as the squirrel, who innocently found himself within sight of the canine, now is attempting to find a hiding space among your feed bags.

Equestrians get to experience nature in ways most people can only dream about. Open spaces, fresh air, and quiet

countryside all provide perfect horse environments, but they are also loved by all sorts of other creatures - some of which aren’t really the best at coexisting in the same habitat.

These animals don’t mean to disrupt your daily routine. They are simply looking for the basic needs of survival.

Maybe it’s shelter in your attic, food in your trash, or warmth in your hay storage, and they feel like they’ve won the lottery by discovering it. Fortunately there are options (other than wielding a broomstick or spraying them with the nearest spray bottle - neither is helpful) when it comes to removing those animals who ’d really like to share your space.

Removal, there are laws!

For some species, there are laws that determine how they can be removed from a situation. These laws are formed in response to the population of the species and the roles they play in the

ecosystem (among other factors). These laws mean that the Wildlife Resource Commission is your best friend if you find yourself with an unwanted houseguest (or wildlife that may be injured or acting strange).

The Wildlife Resource Commission may typically be associated with hunting, fishing, and other outdoor sporting regulation, but they also have a ton of information regarding preventing conflicts with wildlife, injured/ orphaned wildlife, common wildlife diseases, and species information for all animals found in North Carolina.

The WRC will also be an excellent resource for finding out who you need to contact to get personalized service for your specific situation, such as a rehabilitator or a Wildlife Damage Control Agent like myself. Being a WDCA means that I can capture, transport, and dispatch an animal, and take measures to prevent the damage from happening again.

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Relocate and repair Bringing in a professional is an easy way to de-escalate what might seem like a ‘wild’ situation, and it will also ensure that all of the safety measures are examined and executed.

While the basic procedure of animal removals revolve around protecting all those involved and conservation, the process of removing and relocating an animal varies widely depending on the situation. Some species are regulated by the laws I mentioned before - where it may be illegal for an unlicensed person to trap and release, or take other measures. Some animals may be sick or injured and need specialized care. Sometimes the ‘repair’ part of the process is as simple as cleaning up the mess from being surprised, but other times it’s looking at the building structure as to how the animal got access in the first place.

1012 N May Street Southern Pines, NC 28387 | 910.692.2385 www.mooreequine.com Mon - Fri 8A - 6P Saturday 8A - 5P

As an example: say there is a squirrel or a bat that has gotten into a house.

The homeowner would contact us by way of the WRC, recommendation, or a google search. We would arrive and formulate a plan which would involve sealing the area and either design an escape route (and possibly trapping them once they are outside), or trapping them indoors.

Janet & Wayne Rasmussen

THE COUNTRY SADDLER

If they are captured with the intent to relocate, it’s important to put enough space between their current location and their new home. All too often people relocate an animal down the street and are surprised when it shows back up again. The travel radius of a wild animal is vast, and so is their memory.

For a more successful outcome, I relocate the animal 45 minutes to an hour away, usually onto wildlife land, away from people, and near a water source like lakes or ponds.

And just because we’ve successfully relocated the initial offender, doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have friends. By

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taking steps to deter more unwelcome works). Several of the species found in visitors, we can reduce the stress for North Carolina are also on the Federal humans and animals.

Endangered list, which means that their removal is regulated. They cannot be Benefit vs. exposure moved unless by a licensed professional While the thought of unwillingly during their mating season. cohabitating bats send some people into Unfortunately for these hard working Halloween nightmares, they are actually aviators, many people also instantly very beneficial to the environment (in think of them as rabies carriers. As the TOP THREE pollinators - right up scary as the possibility of rabies is, the reality is that the chances of exposure are very low, and by being educated and proactive, we can keep it that way.

One service that many home and barn owners are not aware of is the free testing bats for rabies. If you happen Bats are one of the top three pollinators. to find a bat that is not where it should with bees and hummingbirds) and are be, you can contact animal control and great to have around farms (big brown they will pick it up and have it tested for bats can eat up to 2,000 insects a night rabies for free. As I mentioned, the risk - that’s far better than any fly spray of rabies is low, but it is a disease that

has had cases in every North Carolina county. Thanks to vaccinations and careful animal control measures, there hasn’t been a human positive case since 1955. Those measures include follow-up (‘repair’ part of our process) practices that examine where an animal may have had saliva contact, should they test positive for rabies, so we can reduce the possible locations of virus exposure.

While the summer months mean there are a lot more phone calls about snake identification, or perhaps one of them has taken up residence with horse roommates, the colder weather means more animals are looking to share warm shelters. Sometimes identifying the culprits is as easy as the dog cornering it in the feed room during night check, but other times it’s just an eerie scratching in a wall or attic. Using the resources of the WRC and your local professionals, you can rid yourself of unwanted roommates in a safe and restorative manner.

PROTECTING WHAT YOU L O V E

580 SW Broad St., Southern Pines NC 28387 910-687-4899 1222 Rockingham Rd, Rockingham NC 28379 910-997-4581 204 W North St, Albemarle NC 28001 704-983-0907

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FromCraigslist to BreyerFest!

How Amanda Delgado’s Perseverance Made Her Rescue Horse a Champion

by Mary Kate Murphy

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Photos: Amanda Delgado

W

hen Amanda Delgado first laid eyes on Athenian Lady, the mostly-chestnut pinto mare was a horse no one wanted. Two other prospective owners had already driven out to the scrubby Cumberland County pasture and declined to adopt the only horse still living in it. Maybe it was her surly attitude, which was the second thing they noticed after the ribs and hip bones protruding from her underweight frame. Delgado wasn’t even considering taking her. She simply volunteered to make sure the mare had hay and fresh water while a local horse rescue tried to find her a good home.

The mare was listed for free on Craigslist, so the odds of someone picking her up to sell at a livestock

“Even though she was in this pasture filled with garbage and horse skeletons, she carried herself with such presence and she was so regal,” Delgado recalled. “She carried herself like a queen despite her environment.”

Delgado wasn’t angry or afraid when the mare charged at her, forcing a hasty exit through the fence. It was almost as if Athena knew that humans had failed her, and had no intention of snuggling up to the first person who showed up with a halter. Delgado quickly developed a sense of respect for the horse’s intelligence, and an unintended affection crept in. But a third potential adopter was due to come the next morning.

“I was kicking myself: ‘Dang it Amanda, you got attached to this horse and she

Before and one year after Athena and Amanda met.

auction were the only ones in her favor.

With no known pedigree, training, or any recent history of adequate care, Athena’s most likely destination from there was a slaughterhouse. Delgado herself hadn’t owned a horse in 10 years, but volunteered with the rescue as an affordable way to be around horses. So she did her best not to get emotionally involved with individual rescue horses. But as she checked out the property and discovered the skeletal remains of horses around the pasture, Delgado couldn’t help but realize that only sheer determination to survive could have kept the mare alive for so long.

isn’t yours,’” Delgado said. “I was literally up all night tossing and turning thinking about her.”

When that person also passed on adopting the mare, Delgado made a split-second decision. The eight years since that moment have been the stuff of any horse-crazy little girl’s wildest dreams. Nearly a dozen championship wins at Pinto Horse Association and Western Dressage Association of America World shows later, Athena will never be forgotten in a field again. Next summer at the Kentucky Horse Park, the horse that no one wanted will be the main attraction at

BreyerFest. At the end of the three-day convention, thousands of model horse enthusiasts will go home with their own miniaturized version of Athena.

Since 1950, Breyer Animal Creations has produced lifelike, hand-painted models that appeal to all ages of horse lovers. Children create “stables” and “show arenas” on the family dining table with models bought at toy stores, while rare Breyers can change hands among serious collectors for thousands of dollars. Equine legends from Triple Crown winner American Pharoah to Western Pleasure sire Zippo Pine Bar have been immortalized in cellulose acetate over the years, as have fictional horse heroes like Black Beauty and the Lone Ranger’s Silver. Now Athena will join the pantheon of horses so honored.

Her story is a unique intersection of the gritty reality of a horse like Seabiscuit, the Depression-era racehorse who no one thought would achieve greatness, and the spirit of the Black Stallion, the fiercely proud Arabian of Walter Farley’s novels who learned to trust the boy who helped him survive on a desert island.

“We receive letters and photos of deserving horses almost daily,” said Jaime Potkalesky, a senior event manager at Breyer. “In this case, our events team was specifically looking for rescue horses or horse and rider teams who are breaking their breed’s mold or glass ceilings. A few of us came across Athena’s story online and we found ourselves rooting for her while we read about her journey. She just stuck with us.”

Delgado at first assumed the email from Reeves International this spring was some kind of hoax. But a Google search proved the email address to be legitimately associated with Breyer’s parent company, so she agreed to a videoconference. To her surprise, the Breyer representatives seemed to know everything there was to know about Athena’s story from her website, blog and articles published over the years.

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“The whole office at Breyer was family encouraged her to let Athena fangirling and freaking out. That was go in favor of something well-started, such a ‘woah’ moment. What do you something sound: a registered Quarter mean the team at Breyer knows about Horse that could help her pursue my horse?” Delgado said. “I was a dreams of showing at Congress. But Breyer horse girl. I collected them. Delgado was focused more on what So having this moment where Breyer Athena deserved. Having earned the wanted to make my horse a model was crazy. I still have Breyer horses set up in my Athena and Amanda at office. I remember playing their first horseshow together. with Secretariat, Trigger and Rugged Lark and all these horses that I looked up to and admired so much.”

given a 30 percent chance of returning to soundness, with a rider who had never trained an unbroken horse before or showed outside of local open shows. Delgado and Athena dabbled in various disciplines as they started their partnership: English equitation, showmanship and ranch riding.

They earned Top 5 placings in all three at the 2018 Pinto World Championship Show in Oklahoma.

It was a full-circle moment for Delgado, who likes to think of Athena an ambassador of sorts for rescued horses. As the poster horse for next year’s BreyerFest theme — “Against All Odds — their platform has increased by an order of magnitude. It wasn’t the outcome Delgado expected in the weeks she spent plying Athena with grain before the mare could even be haltered.

And she certainly never imagined it in the months after Athena severed her deep digital flexor tendon on a round pen panel within hours of moving to the rescue.

They returned in 2019 with a new coach, new feeding and management program, and refreshed outlook on competition.

By then, Delgado had added Western dressage to their repertoire as well.

Not only did they win two Western dressage championships, Athena landed the highest dressage score of the entire event. Delgado realized they had found their place in the competitive equestrian world.

Several veterinarians and well-meaning friends advised Delgado to euthanize the mare, considering the severity of the injury and the difficulty of keeping a marginally halter-broke horse on stall rest. Delgado was familiar with the heartbreak that comes with horses. As a teenager she watched her family’s horses be sold, and spent her high school years horseless after her father’s military career took the family to Japan. After high school, Delgado enlisted in the Army as a medic. She did barn chores for free wherever she was stationed, just to be around horses and maybe have a chance to ride.

With Delgado once again on the cusp of horse ownership, her friends and

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mare’s trust, Delgado refused to be the latest person to let her down.

“If she was going to be a pasture ornament for the rest of her life, that was fine by me,” she said. “I just wanted to give her a good home, because I don’t know if she’d ever had one.”

Thus began six months of stall rest and a long period of rehabilitation. Along the way, Delgado gave Athena her name: for the Greek goddess of wisdom and war, an homage to her fighting spirit.

A year after hauling Athena away from that desolate pasture, Delgado hauled her to their first local show. They won their first blue ribbon that day in a hunter under saddle class.

World championships weren’t supposed to follow. Not for a horse

“I really loved the organization. They promote good, correct horsemanship.

I get rewarded for being correct, and they don’t care that she’s a rescue,” Delgado said. “The judges appreciate her for who she is.”

Like traditional dressage, its Western counterpart offers a system of levels that progress in terms of difficulty.

Athena, as an intelligent chestnut mare, is always up for a new challenge — and finds it a little offensive when Delgado allows her to get bored. Delgado also appreciates the discipline’s emphasis on harmony between horse and rider, rather than prioritizing submission or

extravagant gaits.

“I love the idea of being one with your horse, being cohesive and being a team and that being the focus. It’s not so much about how your horse looks or how your horse moves, it’s focused on you being a team together,” she said.

Western dressage is a relatively new discipline that has grown in popularity in the last few years. Competitors include former breed show competitors seeking a challenge beyond the endless rail work of under saddle and pleasure classes, as well as converts from traditional dressage.

Amanda and Athen found their niche in Western Dressage

Pursuing what’s best for Athena has in a way been Delgado’s polestar in life outside of the arena. First she and her husband Ray built a hunt box outside of Vass to be as close to their horses as possible. Then she finished her bachelor’s degree to fulfill the passion for training she rediscovered while producing Athena as a show horse.

“The moments that you have with your horse at home in the arena where you’re working on something and they finally get it and have that lightbulb moment, honestly that’s better than the ribbons for me,” she said. “I love seeing a horse grow and develop.”

Athena’s tendon injury should have ended her career as a riding horse before it started. But instead it inspired Delgado to start learning the horse industry in every way she could without actually riding. She spent months reading, watching videos from Quarter Horse Congress, scribing for dressage judges and observing successful trainers’ methods from the rail of every warmup arena she could drive to.

“People got in my head a lot and I really wrestled with the idea of am I good enough for this horse?” she said.

“I knew she had the talent but I was this DIY amateur at the time. I knew my education in horses was going to be the key.”

Later on, she realized that she needed

Photo: Jason Jackson 27

experience riding different horses before striking out as a professional.

Graduating from St. Andrews University last year should have springboarded Delgado’s career. But she and Athena had to sit out the 2022 Western dressage World show.

Delgado had spent most of her adult life up to that point dealing with the debilitating effects of endometriosis.

Within 30 days of her fifth surgical procedure in 2021, the disease had progressed beyond where it was before the surgery — and beyond the point where any doctor in North Carolina was comfortable handling the case.

“I remember going to my post-op appointment and I was so gutted because I just wanted to ride,” she said. “Honestly my horse kept me going throughout it, because in those moments you don’t have time to wallow or be depressed. The horses need to be fed in the morning, you have to keep going. Whenever I would ride, I felt untouchable.”

Even at her lowest points of neglect, Athena never seemed to feel sorry for herself. So giving up wasn’t an option for her person either. Delgado sought specialist treatment in Atlanta, and in the summer of 2022 underwent a full hysterectomy in a last-ditch effort to restore her own quality of life. The pair returned to the World show this September to win another world title in Western dressage equitation. They were reserve world champions in Level 1 Test 3 and Level 1 Test 4, and placed third in Level 2 Test 4.

Appearing as the banner attraction at

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next year’s BreyerFest will probably seem to Athena to be just one big horse show.

“Athena loves horse shows and she thinks everyone there at the horse show is there for her. I think she’s going to love the attention and eat it all up,” said Delgado. “It’s been so fun to see her come out of her shell and trust people more over the years.”

The 2024 “Athenian Celebration Horse

Lady”

The 2024 “Athenian Lady” Celebration Horse will be painted on the Australian Stock Horse mold: poll just above level, ears pricked, tail flowing as she canters boldly into a bright future. The mold was Delgado’s first choice of the 150 or so available. She kept the secret for months, but still tears up at the idea of Athena, her horse of a lifetime that she alone believed in, as a seed for the hopes and dreams of thousands of young horse lovers around the world.

“Going from a moment where you feel so alone in the world to having people around the world encouraging you and cheering for you is such a big shift,” she said. “No one believed in her potential and here she is going to be a Breyer horse with little girls all over the world

playing with her.”

The 35th annual BreyerFest is scheduled for July 12-14, and is expected to draw 30,000 people to the Kentucky Horse Park. Tickets will go on sale in February, and will be the only way to acquire the Athenian Lady model. “‘Against All Odds’ shines a spotlight on the horses and equestrians who have overcome obstacles in their lives or who are redefining what is possible,” said Potkalesky.

“The horses and riders our fans will get to meet aren’t letting a single moment define their story or limit their potential. After reading hundreds of submissions and countless triumphant stories, we all fell in love with Athena’s spirit and Amanda’s determination.

They have created a beautifully inspiring partnership, and we are thrilled to tell her story and those of many others.”

Athena’s story has many chapters beyond next year. She’s about 14 years old now, with plenty of time to continue climbing the Western dressage levels.

Delgado and Athena recently earned the Western dressage Silver medal for scores at Level 1 and Level 2, and hope to start working on Level 3 soon to pursue a Gold. She also plans to breed Athena to a dressage stallion, using a

Learn more about the “Against All Odds” BreyerFest 2024 www.breyerhorses.com

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From our Family to Yours Merry Christmas & Happy New Year From Heather Ridge Farm!

2024 Show Schedule Saturday – December 16th, 2023 Saturday – March 23rd, 2024 Wednesday – April 17th, 2024 Wednesday – May 15th, 2024 Wednesday – June 19th, 2024 Wednesday – July 24th, 2024 Wednesday – August 14th, 2024 Wednesday – September 18th, 2024 Saturday – October 26th, 2024 Wednesday – November 27th, 2024 www.heatherridgefarm.org Text: 910-224-1719 Thank you for your support in 2023!

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Buisness Spotlight

Ho! Ho! Whoa!

Safety First When Decorating Your Farm & Barn for the Holidays!

By Audrey Wiggins, Local Equestrian Specialist Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Lifestyle Property Partners

The Holidays are here - that means it is time to deck the stalls! Decorating is a lot of fun, but can offer some safety challenges when it comes to your barn. Below is a list of safety tips to consider while dressing up your farms & barns this holiday season.

No one wants the holiday glow to turn into a barn fire. If you choose to use lights as part of the decor, consider using battery operated lights vs. plug in. If you use plug in lights, LED lights for outdoor use stay cool while lit and pair them with outdoor rated extension cords. Do not cover extension cords with rugs or blankets and at all cost keep those cords away from our furry four legged friends.

Every year, Christmas trees are a cause of fires, so If you have a lit Christmas tree in your tack room or barn, it’s best to use an artificial tree rather than a live tree.

Keep in mind, holly and mistletoe are toxic to horses and domestic pets. So if you hang a live wreath or garland, make sure you know what it’s made of and to be safe, keep it out of reach from your animals.

Tinsel can be tricky because it can fall into stalls and foodstuffs for the horses and are often considered play toys to our beloved barn cats.

Stockings are fun to decorate with each horse in mind and look adorable on stall fronts. If they are to be stuffed with treats,

it’s better to hang them in a central location out of reach of nibbly-noses.

This time of year it is always a good idea to run through your annual barn & farm maintenance checklist and prep for winter. Below are some tips to consider: - Check your supply of flashlights and lanterns, make sure you have extra batteries, for power outages and early/late feedings in the dark.

- Check any fire/smoke alarms in barns and tack rooms for batteries and/or proper operation.

- Check gutters and downspouts to make sure they are clean and rainwater run-off is heading away from barn and stalls.

- Make sure all doors and windows open and close properly for various types of winter weather.

- Put a plan in place to prevent frozen water buckets and outdoor tubs. There are many types of heated outdoor water tubs/buckets on the market - breaking ice is no fun!

- Review equipment needs to include having a backup water plan for power outages. Have a plan to keep the well pump and any exposed plumbing in barn or paddocks insulated to prevent freezing.

- Perform annual maintenance on tractors, manure spreaders and other necessary farm equipment.

In our part of NC, we usually have fairly mild winters with very short bursts of frigid air or frozen precipitation, but when it does occur it is better to be over prepared than under prepared. Fall is a great time of year to consider some farm improvement projects, to not only make farm life easier in the cold, but also to add value for resale. Consider installing a generator that provides backup power to your home and barn along with running electric out to your water troughs and sheds. Staying on top of pasture maintenance and repairing run-off or grading issues will also help maintain value.

Now, that you’re ready for winter it’s time to hang those barn wreaths and stockings on the stalls!

Happy Holidays, from our barn to yours!

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Pointing to Hoffman: The Carolina All-Age & Derby Jamboree brings some of the best field trial competitors to Richmond County

By Ray Owen Photos by Hayden Dobbins

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T

he Robert Gordon Field Trial Grounds hosted the Carolina All-Age & Derby Jamboree from October 18-31, 2023. The site is owned and operated by the N.C. Wildlife Commission and located near the small town of Hoffman, N.C. For the first time in its history, four National Championship Qualifying stakes took place there simultaneously. Some of the nation’s best pointing dogs and handlers participated in what were basically the first field trials of the season.

“The majority of them are from South Georgia where field trialing is the lifestyle. They grew up hunting on privately owned quail plantations and most of them were either hands on the plantation or they worked and mentored under some of the old pros.”

Like with any sport, there are terms unique to the language of bird hunting.

For example, “taking a line” means

Field trials are said to be America’s oldest formally organized sport, a contest between hunting dogs to display their skill to locate and point coveys of quail.

While riding on horseback, handlers and scouts, a pair of judges, officials and a gallery of spectators follow the dogs that run along designated courses. Each dog has a handler and scout. The handler gives the canine verbal commands telling it what to do and what direction to hunt. The scout’s job is to keep up with the dog if it gets out of sight and to report if the dog points. A scout cannot go in front of a judge or the handler.

“The Hoffman competitions attract the most elite teams in sport,” says Carl Owens, one of the event organizers who grew up bird hunting in the area around Charleston, S.C. “To qualify for the Nationals, a dog has to place first in two qualifying trials.

There are about 45 competitions that are considered qualifiers. Right out of the gate, four of those were in Hoffman and that’s a pretty big deal.”

“Most of the trainers have grown up around hunting dogs,” he says.

found. “Relocate” applies to a dog’s ability to re-establish a point when running birds.

The Tar Heel Championship was first in the lineup of the four National Qualifiers at Hoffman during the Jamboree, kicking things off on October 18th. The competition was celebrating its 94th year of running there. Next up was the 71st Central Carolina Open All-Age, another National Qualifier held annually at the site. The two other National Qualifiers were the International and National Pheasant Championships, both running for the first time in the Sandhills with special permission given to release pheasants, a nonnative species.

The Central Carolina Derby and Tom Honecker Open Derby were also part of the event – two contests to gauge the mettle of young dogs with both amateurs and professionals handlers.

Both derbies were for dogs two years old and under.

Throughout the Jamboree there were social events, dinners and lunches hosted by participating field trial clubs.

asking a canine to run straight ahead until commanded to stop or until reaching game. A “brace” means a pair of dogs competing on the course in tandem, the running order determined in advance by lot. “Pointing” is defined as the stationary positioning of a dog in the presence of game, its nose aimed at the prey. “Covert” or “cover” refers to areas where the game can likely be

According to Owens, “Within the four trials, the Tar Heel had a drawing of 43 dogs, the Central Carolina had 46 dogs, the International Pheasant had 36 dogs, and the National Pheasant had 39 dogs. The two derbies drew 25 dogs each. Add it up and you have a lot of dogs running the course of three weeks.” The dogs are the stars of the competition, but the horses also play an important role.

“The majority of folks ride Tennessee Walkers,” he says. “You see some Fox Trotters and mixed Saddlebreds, but it’s

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mainly gaited horses. We use endurance saddles with a horn in the back that looks like a mix between a Western and European saddle. These saddles were used by Canadian Mounties and became the preferred saddle for field trials after dog owners began sending their teams by rail to the Dakota and Canadian prairies for summer training in the early years.”

English Pointers and Setters are the predominant dogs in the competition.

These breeds are obedient, eventempered canines of medium size that are built for endurance and speed.

the judges then go to the dog, observe the point and verify that the dog has found birds. Once the judges indicate, the dog moves in to flush the game to conclude the brace. When the game is flushed a shot is fired with a blank gun and the dog must drop to the ground.

The team is scored according to the rules and standards of the sport, the dogs judged on such things as gamefinding ability, style on point, quartering ability, and pace. A dog loses points for things like flushing early, chasing game, and running out of control or barking The sport began before the American

in the nation, established around 1952 and encompassed by the Sandhills Game Lands, a 65,135-acre state nature preserve covering parts of Hoke, Moore, Richmond, and Scotland Counties. The preserve is known as one of the finest examples of the longleaf pine habitat in the country. The field trial course occupies 9,000 acres of the Game Lands with open forest and no fencing. There is excellent footing along the sandy roads and fire lanes that crisscross the landscape.

Throughout the course are coveys of quail that were released in September and October, necessitated by the loss of native quail populations. Until the start of the competition, the birds were fed to keep them on the course.

“There’s nothing like it,” says Owens.

“Many would argue that Hoffman has the best public grounds east of the Mississippi. You have the footing it takes for great bird dog competition and the state maintains what some people call the ‘bowling alley,’ a 36mile long trail that offers six hours of continuous course. They put out feed strips of sorghum and corn. Then you have wiregrass and everything that makes for good hunting.”

When hunting the dogs move in front of the handler it is in a pattern known as ‘quartering - systematically moving right-to-left, scenting the air upwind.

When released, the dogs rush forth, in and out of sight searching for birds, back and forth through cover, with everyone on horseback in pursuit. This culminates with the dog finding birds and pointing. Once on point, the dog must remain staunch. The handler and

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Civil War with men competing to settle claims about who had the best bird dog. In 1896, the first National Championship was formally organized near West Point, Mississippi. Then in 1915, the competition moved to Ames Plantation near Grand Junction, Tennessee where it continues to be held.

This 6,000 acre-site hosts thousands of field trial enthusiasts from around the world who attend the event each year.

The Hoffman site is among the best

Those familiar with the Sandhills know that quail were once abundant, but over the last 30 years the species has declined by 70 percent or more.

Most wildlife biologists attribute this decline to the loss of habitat, intensified farming and forestry practices, succession of grassland ecosystems to forests, non-native plant species that choke out wildlife, and urban sprawl.

The problem has been compounded by extreme weather conditions, natural predation, and the arrival of coyotes in the 1980s, an invasive canine species.

Substantial quail habitat improvements have been made. “I’m 46 years old and among the last generation that ever wild-bird quail hunted,” Owens explains. “Today, there aren’t a lot of people that have had experience. Many

organizations and governing agencies are trying to bring the quail back.

The main tool utilized to restore the environment is controlled or prescribed burning. Fire reduces the scrub oaks that shade out desirable weeds and grasses that provide cover for the birds.

Hopefully it’ll help bring in more hunters and field trials in a trickledown effect.”

“One of the biggest issues we’re facing is trying to bring new blood into the sport,” he says. “A challenge

for someone entering the sport is the expense. You’ve got to have a truck and access to horses. Some people don’t even ride a horse. They just purchase a dog and hand it over to a trainer who runs it for them in the open trials.

But there are two sides, open trials for pros only and amateur trails for people who train and run their dogs. While I have two dogs on the pro circuit with a handler, I also have three dogs on the amateur circuit that I run on my own.”

Winning an Open All-Age Trial entitles

a dog to compete in the National Championship, the highest honor a bird dog can attain. Even to the untrained eye, the sport seems understandable and natural, as though it’s connecting to a more primal aspect of human nature.

In any case, it’s a whole lot of fun – for participants and spectators alike.

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Its ok ... to take a break. your horse may need it!

By Cassidy Oeltjen

A

h… the holiday season. There are parties to attend, gatherings to plan, the perfect Secret Santa present to find, shopping crowds to conquer, and visitors to entertain.

It almost seems like an oxymoron that ‘holiday’ can either mean a relaxing vacation, or a season filled with so much going on that November to January is just a blur of turkey, tinsel and tidings.

With all the stress that this busy time can bring, it is a perfect time to let our horses be on the ‘other’ type of holiday. The kind where they get to lounge in the sun, dreaming of grazing in the Irish countryside or feeling the wind whip through their manes as they gallop through the open plain.

But if we aren’t planning every ride - overanalyzing how to perfect our transitions, or circles, or twelve-foot stride - are we taking one step back in our training after fighting for those precious two steps forward?

Research regarding human athletes shows that rest and recovery are just as important as training when it comes to performance, longevity and mental clarity. Although equine athletes can’t talk us through how their body is feeling or what their mental state is, science shows us that their performance will not suffer if we opt to attend a work holiday party instead of doing a trot set.

state, enjoying the sun, dirt and grass with not a piece of leather in sight until you decide to bring them back into work.

Just like humans, rest for our equine athletes is a little hard to define. For some, a complete vacation might be too taxing mentally or the letdown in their body would be detrimental. These horses might benefit from reducing their workloads to hacking, trying a different discipline for cross training, or taking some time to perfect a problem area like trailer loading or standing quietly at the mounting block.

•

Current workload (are they racehorse-fit, or do they enjoy the lighter rides of life?)

•

Veterinarian or farrier concerns (are there any issues that need resting, or corrections that need made?)

•

Personality (can they handle being on complete vacation or do they need to at least be tacked up a few times a week to avoid being feral?)

•

Living conditions (will they still

Other horses may be totally mentally and physically happy in a semi-feral

The compromise with each horse lies where their body and mind can recover from the performance season, setting them up for a successful season ahead.

A few of the considerations when planning our horses’ vacations include:

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have ample opportunity for turnout/self-exercise, or are they mainly stalled?)

•

Future goals (are you looking at making a big push to achieve lots of goals in the upcoming year, or are you sticking to a pretty standard schedule that’s worked in the past?)

In order to be a performance athlete of any species, exercise is involved. This exercise not only trains the skills needed for better results, but also helps develop fitness to prevent injury and ensure longevity. The very nature of exercise also breaks down muscle in order to build it. ...The concept behind it

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is to allow the body to heal from microdamage that occurs during conditioning as most athletic injuries are preceded by microdamage rather than as a single event.”

Dr. Meghann Lustgarten, a veterinarian board certified in veterinary radiology, equine diagnostic imaging, and equine sports medicine and rehabilitation, considers some of the practices of human athletes when balancing exercise and recovery for equines.

“We don’t have a precise recipe for rest and recovery for horses yet,” she acknowledges. “In elite human athletes the attention to recovery is quite intense with some athletes resting up to 18 hours a day during peak competition. The concept behind it is to allow the body to heal from microdamage that occurs during conditioning as most athletic injuries are preceded by microdamage rather than as a single event.”

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It’s this microdamage that can build strength, but can also lead to larger, long-term issues if not given the proper time to heal.

times throughout the year, you can see the results of how the hoof capsule changes with various workloads and environment variations.” This mapping will help determine just how much alterations might have to happen in order to bring the horse’s hooves back into optimum performance levels before the new season.”

While allowing your horse their ‘holiday’ time is somewhat of a convenience during a very busy and stressful winter season, managing them Dr. Lustgarten stresses the importance correctly during it will maximize the of having regular veterinary evaluations benefit of it. throughout the season as a way to help determine what sort of vacation time Nutritionally, we need to consider what the horse’s body composition looks like might benefit your horse. going into vacation, and what we’d like “The doctor you are working with really needs to know how the horse moves and what is normal for that individual in order to determine when something is amiss,” she says. “It is much easier to prevent injury than to treat and rehabilitate! So, even if a horse is sound and going well it’s a good idea for the veterinarian to get a baseline evaluation during training and watch the horse move after competition when possible.”

“Each tissue (bone, ligament, tendon, muscle) needs a different length of time to fully recover,” she continues.

“Conditioning these tissues for the strength and endurance required for the top levels while allowing them to properly recover is a delicate balance.

Too much training and not enough recovery will lead to injury. But, fatigue from too much recovery and not enough fitness training will also lead to injury.”

Equestrian Magazine Contributor), stresses the need for good quality feeds, no matter what the horse’s work load may be. “Even during a change in the level of exercise, the vitamin and mineral needs of the horse don’t change,” she says. “It’s the level of calories needed that changes, and the protein to some extent.”

“Most horses are realistically only ever in moderate levels of work,” she reflects. “By going on vacation, they just should be monitored so they don’t get over-conditioned, but if their environment isn’t changing much, as in they aren’t going from a dry lot to a lush green field, then there may not be a huge nutritional change.”

Regular veterinary evaluations will help determine what type of vacation time is needed for your horse.

Farrier Rick Snead, views down time in a performance horse’s schedule as an opportunity to make alterations that may not be practical while the horse is in full work. Having this time to make corrections is imperative to starting the new season with the right hoof forward.

“Most horses that are on a consistent competition routine start to lose hoof mass over the summer,” Snead emphasizes. “If we can take 8 weeks and set a horse up in shoes or pads or trims that we can’t really utilize during the competition routine, we can greatly improve the chances of having a sound horse and successful season.”

it to be once the horse builds back into full work.

For horses who tend to be hard keepers, the vacation is a time to add some bulk that might have been lost during the season. For those horses who put on weight by smelling grain, the goal may be to not resemble a land-hippo and Like Dr. Lustgarten, Snead is also a have a girth that still fits when they get proponent of tracking the clinical signs tacked back up. of the horse throughout the season in order to have a plan for vacation Christina Boucher Reynolds, equine time. “By having x-rays taken several nutrition professional (and Sandhills

As the holidays conclude and the 2024 season approaches, the horse’s ‘return to work’ schedule should be just as planned as the vacation itself. While they may not have indulged in quite the same amount of cookies, their workload should be gradually increased so as to not undo all the physical and mental recovery that vacation allows.

Which is probably good, since we’ll need some time to recover from the holidays as well!

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Located in the heart of the Sandhills, NC, at Hassinger Equine Sports Medicine, we offer a variety of veterinary and medical services to local and out-of-state clients. Our world-class facility comprises an Equine Clinic, Equine Rehabilitation Center, and a brand-new Equine Reproduction facility.

Contact us today for our Holiday Rehab Specials for December.

Happy Holidays!

Team Hassinger.

910·281·4845 Aberdeen, NC

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Performance Medicine

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Vanessa Grebe

G

rowing up in the hunt country of Maryland was a magical experience for artist Vanessa Grebe. As she played in the backyard of her family home she’d hear the call of the horns, the bay of the hounds, and wait for the flurry of thundering hooves, red coats, and dogs to fly past.

“There was a magic to the hunt, especially as a child,” she remembered. “There was a majestic nature to it.

It always felt like a scene from a movie – and as fast as they came, they were gone again,-.”

As a child, Grebe also found herself in the Gifted and Talented Art Program in elementary school. However, as life would have it, Grebe pursued a career in education and became a science teacher. Her days of advanced art were put on hold.

Later in her forties, as a resident of Charleston, SC, a friend extended an invitation to attend a painting class. For Grebe, it was like she had never stopped painting. “I was hooked. It was the most fun I’d had in a really long time,” she reflects. And with that, Grebe decided to pursue a lifelong passion and talent once again – art.

“There are no rules when it comes to painting. Anything goes.

Anything can be art, and any medium can be painted upon.

I’ll be doing art for the rest of my life. All my art has a note of whimsical to it, there’s always a little humor in the painting.”

As Charleston grew and became more crowded, Grebe and her husband looked to make a move in 2021, “I love horses and he plays golf – so the Sandhills seemed to be the right fit for us!” Grebe attended a Moore County Hounds Summer

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Clinic in 2022 and luckily met whipper-in Shelly Talk. Talk decided to help Grebe achieve another dream of hers – to ride. “I do not fox hunt – yet! I told her to treat me like an eightyear-old girl who loves horses, and she’s been a wonderful teacher.”

Getting closer to horses, and once again fox hunting, Grebe found herself even more inspired. Having taught anatomy as a science teacher, Grebe was able to view horses on a different scale. This angle allowed her paintings to become more detailed as she learned more about a horse’s biomechanics and muscular system.

“Being close to the horses helped me see more detail, more angles, more life.

I saw multiple colors of horse coats, vintage hunt attire, and it allowed me to put contemporary variations on a classic theme. Even down to the expressions on a horse’s face, or the way their ears moved – being around the hunt helped me bring more life

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to my work. I can sketch and take pictures and then go home and use those for inspiration or motivation even. I love going to a hunt, especially the Blessing of the Hounds, and just feeling that energy and sketching like crazy, or snapping pictures of everything I can – it’s a surreal experience.”

Grebe allows those details to come through in her work using oil based paint and sometimes even cold wax, all on linen and canvas. In the last six months Grebe has been doing more abstract pieces – something that isn’t common in the fox hunting world which is normally a discipline based on tradition, vintage attire, and ageold rules.

As a resident of Southern Pines, Grebe was able to be part of the Painted Ponies series - a yearly fundraiser for the Carolina Horse Park where the ponies are on display around downtown Southern Pines for a few months before being auctioned

off. She also became a member of the Artist League of the Sandhills and participates in art shows each month.

Grebe has not forgotten about her time in Charleston, SC. She travels back about every other month to refresh her work at the Charleston Artist Guild Gallery.

In January 2024, Grebe will have her own art show in Southern Pines at The Campbell House. The show will be titled “Tally Ho!” and a reception will be held January 5, 2024.

If you’d like to learn more about Vanessa Grebe, view her work, or commission a piece for yourself you can visit her website at www. vanessagrebe.com.

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SEQM Campaign: Let’s Find Them A Home!

Electrifying Russ Age: 20 Gender: Gelding Breed: Standardbred pacer Color: Dark Bay Height: 16.1

Russ started his life as a racing standardbred and later became an Amish buggy horse.

He now deserves a life of leisure as a light trail riding friend. He enjoys walking along the trails seeing new sights and takes it all in stride. He is very well behaved on the ground and under saddle. He enjoys being with other horses and is happy with being told what to do. He enjoys coming in to stall at night and going out during the day. No shoes and UTD on everything.

Russ is great with the farrier and vet.

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Calendar DECEMBER

January 13

Fri-Sun Sedgefield at The Park Winter Classic NCHJA “C” H/J Show Carolina Horse Park, 2814 Montrose Road, Raeford, NC 28376

Saturday Pipe Opener 1 Carolina Horse Park 2814 Montrose Road Raeford, NC 28376

December 1-3

Saturday NCHJA Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet Pinehurst Resort, Pinehurst, NC

December 9

January 19-21

Saturday SSSS Just Jumpers Holiday Show Rollins Grove 1003 Neill Sinclaire Rd Raeford, NC 28376

Saturday NCDCTA Awards Gala Greensboro, NC

Saturday Moore County Driving Club Annual Christmas Parade.

Southern Pines, NC 28376, USA

December 16

Saturday HRF D/CT/WD Heather Ridge Farm, 875 N Horace Walters Rd, Raeford, NC 28376, USA

JANUARY January 7

Sunday Pinehurst Schooling 1 Pinehurst Harness Track 200 Beulah Hill Road S. Pinehurst, NC 28374

Fri-Sun Triangle Winter Indoors I “C” H/J Show Hunt Horse Complex, 4601 Trinity Rd, Raleigh, NC 27607

Sunday Pinehurst Schooling 2 Pinehurst Harness Track 200 Beulah Hill Road S. Pinehurst, NC 28374

January 25-28

Fri-Sun Triangle Winter Indoors I “A” H/J Show Hunt Horse Complex, 4601 Trinity Rd, Raleigh, NC 27607

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Legend

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Support your Equestrians at the War Horse Series, Dressage at the Park, and the Tree House Series.

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