SEQM January 2024

December January 2024 2023

Breeding the Future in the Sandhills Small to Tall Pony Stallions

Stallion Stories

Powerful Steeds that Have Shaped the Sandhills

Breeding Down Under | Equine Dentistry | Overcoming Winter 1

Fine Art Equine Portraiture

by Lisa Miyamoto

makanaphotography@icloud.com www.makana-photography.com

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(910) 603-1831

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In this Issue Cover story

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26 Breeding The Future

Features 22 32 37

Small But Mighty

All In Stallion Stories

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Departments 4 6 10 12 16 42

After-Supper Horse Equine Dentistry, Part 1 Tack Trunk Omega Fatty Acids Beating the Winter Time Blahs Let’s Find Them a Home

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

Lisa Miyamoto Jason Jackson Dr. Elaine Means, DVM Candy Allen Ines Ritter Jennie Acklin Advertising & Subscriptions

Happy New Year!

Sandhills Equestrians!

Wow! We are six months into producing Sandhills Equestrian Magazine.Time flies when you’re having fun, and there is so much fun in this month’s Stallion Issue! We are kicking off the new year with a dive into the Reproductive Center at Hassinger Equine; taking a trip across the pond (actually several ponds) to follow former Sandhills resident, Christian Trainor, and the impact she’s having on the breeding scene in Australia; and catching up with the smallest Stallions making a big impact. We are also proud to recognize those who represented the area on the local, regional, national, and international levels in 2023 with our online coverage.

We love having the opportunity to highlight the abundant equestrian culture of the area, and with the new year comes exciting new coverage opportunities! We cannot wait to see each one of you out and about, enjoying your horses and the beauty of the area.

Remember to follow us on social media, register for our emails, and share the word about Sandhills Equestrian Magazine!

Cheers!

Team SEQM

Jennie Acklin 814-688-0083 Jennie@sandhillseqm.com General Inquiries info@sandhillseqm.com Cover No Doubt This Is Hot (by No Doubt Absolute out of Hoping For Hot Iron) Photo: Lisa Miyamoto Follow us on

www.sandhillseqm.com Sandhills Equestrian Magazine owned by Sandhills EQM LLC P.O.Box 273 Southern Pines, NC 28388 No part of this publication may be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the Publisher The Sandhills Equestrain Magazine and Sandhills EQM LLC do not neccessassrily endorse the views of their contributors or advertisers.

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SEQM Educational Series

Training/Showing

The After-Supper Horse

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ention “Dressage” to riders and it evokes responses ranging from abject boredom and faint puzzlement to dislike. “It’s hard, my horse hates it.” “I just have to get through it to get to the cross-country phase.” “I don’t do that kind of riding so I don’t need to do it.”

But what is dressage really? Originally it was training for warhorses, and now it is a discipline separate unto itself.

But, is that really all it is? I had a dressage instructor years ago that had a more all-encompassing perspective.

“Dressage,” he said, “is about creating the after-supper horse.”

The after-supper horse is a horse that is obedient, balanced, and responsive.

Easy to ride, this horse can take you

over the hills and through the woods home from your neighbor’s house after a large meal that possibly included a few drinks. A horse that is comfortable to ride even when the rider is perhaps feeling not so energetic. This horse allows you to negotiate obstacles with ease. In other words, dressage is not a separate discipline; in its most basic form, it has widespread applications.

Horses float around their fields looking graceful and balanced only to suddenly lose all that agility and energy when put under saddle. Why is that? Without getting too technical (and thereby contributing to dressage’s reputation of BORING) horses carry approximately 60% of their weight on their forehand.

Then we climb aboard and sit right towards that already loaded front end thereby changing that precise balance that allows the ease of movement.

Biomechanically speaking it changes

everything about the way the horse moves. Basic dressage exercises can help your horse negotiate that change in balance.

Most dressage riders already know the value of taking their mounts out of the dressage arena and into the fields and woods to reap the benefit of cross training and variety. Rachel King’s recent article took that even a step further suggesting doing dressage in the wild by using natural obstacles to add value to the movements. Let me add another perspective by suggesting taking your non-dressage horses into the ring (or out in a field) to do some basic exercises to improve their balance and responsiveness. And let’s take the terror out of it by calling it flatwork, or basic training.

I’ve had the privilege of doing all kinds

CANDY ALLEN

USDF Gold, Silver, and Bronze medalist Candy is a Dressage trainer and Coach located in Vass NC, where she trains and coaches a variety of clients from lower Dressage and Eventing to riders at the FEI levels. Learn more at:

www.candyallendressage.com

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of riding in my life. And I have a variety of students riding and competing in different disciplines. I’ve done leg yields in a tolt (Icelandic horses), and canter pirouettes on jumpers (great time saver in a timed jump off). I’ve schooled and rehabbed failed steeplechasers that returned to have successful careers. I’ve foxhunted dressage horses that are a dream to ride because they listen and don’t hang on the bit. I’ve even worked on canter-gallop transitions while breezing racehorses. The weirdest was a bucking bronco from Canada that we turned into a jumper (he was athletic, after all) by re-starting him on the flat.

The benefits of dressage ….um…. flatwork are endless.

I recently taught a clinic in Virginia where I had a wonderful mixture of eventers and foxhunters (including a Whipper-In and a Field Master), all of whom also compete in dressage. I asked them if they use their dressage exercises on their non-dressage horses.

After looking at me as if this should be

Albion

Cavallo

Correct Connect

obvious, they all gave me examples of how it applies: •

Lengthening and shortening strides to trot over roots, or jump logs or in preparation to make a sharp turn.

•

A turn on the forehand or turn on the haunches to do “about face” on a narrow trail when you must turn around.

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Leg yield on a narrow path to allow hunt staff and hounds to pass or to sidestep a hole or bad ground.

•

Opening gates by using a turn on the forehand.

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The ability to easily back into or out of a space by using a rein back.

to straighten him out and slowly backed into his spot. It was impressive.

None of this should come as a surprise to any rider; we often have to maneuver our steeds in and out of awkward situations. So, I asked my students why the dressage was a factor.

The unanimous response was that horses with a bit of this basic training accomplished all those movements more easily and in a more relaxed fashion rather than having to be pushed around or hauled on. In addition, by doing the exercises as part of a training program the horse learns to use its body to better carry us and thus regain its more natural balance.

Dressage does not have to be fancy prancing in a sandy rectangle with an arched neck doing choreographed movements. It can be some simple exercises applicable to whatever your discipline may be. Because after all who doesn’t need an after-supper horse!

I recently watched a video on Facebook of a horse from the Household Cavalry standing guard at Buckingham Palace.

Something upset the horse and he was moving in and out of his station. The lady guard used a turn on the forehand

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SEQM Educational Series

EQUINE HEALTH

Deep Dive Into Equine Dentistry Part 1

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quine dentistry has come a long way in recent years, offering significant advancements in the care and well-being of our equine companions. A key aspect of this progress involves the ability to do a thorough oral exam. In this twopart article we will take a deep dive into equine dentistry. This month’s article will focus on the importance of a good oral exam, and we will delve into some dental anatomy and function.

Next month we will focus on dental treatments for horses that you probably didn’t know existed.

The Oral Exam The ability to do a good oral exam with a mirror or endoscope is a game-changer in equine dentistry. Just imagine if you went to the dentist, and they did your

exam by feel with their eyes closed! A lot of problems would be missed. As veterinarians, we have been telling you for years that horses need their teeth floated. The exam that comes with an “old school” float consists of reaching in the horse’s long, dark mouth and feeling for sharp enamel points. You can’t treat problems you don’t diagnose so the only treatment available was removing those points.

That was the dark ages of equine dentistry, and our horses deserve better. Horses get all the same diseases in their mouths that we do. The only way to find and treat that dental disease is by looking closely with a very bright light source and a mirror or endoscope. It is time for all of us to move beyond focusing only on sharp enamel points and floating teeth.

A thorough oral examination is the foundation of modern equine dentistry and conducting it with the right tools is essential. Subtle but significant disease will be missed unless a thorough oral exam is performed.

Photo 1. A brightly illuminated mouth.

These teeth look normal when viewed like this. Notice the tooth with the red arrow pointing to it.

Dr. Elaine Means, DVM

Dr. Elaine Means is a native of Durham, NC. She received a BS in animal science from Colorado State University in 1998, and her DVM from North Carolina State University in 2002. Dr. Means worked as an associate veterinarian at 3H Veterinary Services in New Hill, NC from 2002-2016. Dr. Means primary interest has always been equine dentistry. Her passion for dentistry drove her to open her own practice specializing exclusively in equine dentistry.

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Photo 2. This is a photo taken with an oral endoscope of the tooth with the red arrow from Photo 1. Notice the cavity in the center of this tooth (red arrow).

This cavity is deep and the enamel edge on the front side of the tooth is being decayed away by bacteria in the cavity (white arrow). This tooth is at high risk to fracture. Treating this cavity now may prevent future fracture and disease of the tooth.

Photo 3. Another brightly illuminated mouth with significant disease. Note the row of teeth on the top left in the photo only has five teeth. The row on the right in the photo has seven teeth.

Horses should have six teeth in each row.

Because the horse tooth is continually erupting, having unmatched teeth will be a lifelong management problem for this horse.

Photo 4. This photo is taken with an oral endoscope showing the last 2 teeth from the row of 7 teeth from photo 3.

The white area is pointing to a small area where feed is packed between the teeth. This food had packed all the way up the length of the tooth (6cm deep) and was causing a sinus infection.

This would easily be missed without a detailed exam.

The Essential Parts of an Oral Exam External Oral Exam

• • • •

• •

• • • • •

Listed below are all things on the outside of the head that give clues as to what is going on inside.

Symmetry Muscling Swelling Nasal discharge

Occlusion

How do the teeth and jaws meet?

How well do they move side to side and forward to back?

Oral Soft Tissues Lips Cheeks Tongue Palate Bars of the mouth

Periodontal Exam (mirror or endoscope required)

The tissues directly surrounding the teeth: • Gingiva, • Periodontal ligament, • Cementum, • Alveolus.

Endodontic Exam (mirror or endoscope required) Everything on the inside of the tooth and the structure of the tooth.

Photo 5. Photo of the second to last tooth extracted on this horse from photo 3 and 4. Note the significant feed packing all the way up the tooth (white arrows).

Tooth Anatomy A horse tooth looks very different from a human or a dog tooth. Our teeth are completely covered by enamel, which is the hardest substance in our body, and it appears white. Inside our teeth is a vital pulp which contains the blood vessels and nerves of the tooth and a

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hard type of dental tissue called dentin.

Below our gums the roots of our teeth are covered with a type of dental tissue called cementum. Because the horse tooth is continually erupting you will see all of the types of dental tissue that are inside our teeth on the outside of the horse tooth. If you look at the surface of a horse tooth you will see white (enamel), brown (dentin) and yellow (cementum). Each horse cheek tooth has a robust blood and nerve supply in the center. We call this the vital pulp. This is the part of the tooth that feels pain.

of dental tissue are under the gums or the enamel. Image from Wikipedia.

The horse is constantly generating new hard dental tissue (dentin) over the pulp of the tooth to keep it from being exposed during the continual wear or attrition that occurs with chewing. The upper cheek teeth of the horse also have two enamel lined structures running up the center called infundibular. These three different types of dental tissue (enamel, cementum and dentin) on the surface of the horse cheek tooth wear at different rates resulting in the ridged or corrugated appearance to the chewing surface of the cheek tooth. This ridged surface is necessary for cutting and grinding their forage as they chew

Figure 2. Image of an upper cheek tooth on a horse. Notice how much more complex the inside of it is than the human tooth.

(Image from Midwest Veterinary Dental Services)

through the mouth from front to back in a corkscrew like manner. The cheek teeth function as one dental row and as feed is moved backwards in the mouth the fiber size of the feed is decreased.

The chewing surface of horse teeth have ridges almost like corrugated cardboard. These ridges are essential for crushing and grinding up forage small enough so that it can be digested.

This continuous grinding of rough forage causes continuous attrition of their teeth.

Horse teeth erupt about 2-3mm a year which is equal to the amount of tooth that is worn away through chewing each year. After a tooth erupts and comes into wear it will continue to grow and lengthen for about five years.

After that point it gets a little shorter every year of its life as it gets worn away. Our senior horses often have very short teeth with smooth chewing surfaces. When this happens, they lose the ability to effectively chew and grind up long stem forage into short enough particles for digestion. Forage cannot be shortened anywhere in the digestive tract other than the mouth and if it is not chewed sufficiently it will not be properly digested.

Photo 6. Image of the chewing surface of a horse cheek tooth. White arrows point to enamel, yellow areas point to cementum and black arrows point to dentin.

Tooth Function

Figure 1. Image of a simple human molar. Notice the outside is completely covered by enamel. All the other types

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Horses are extraordinary creatures, chewing forage for up to 18 hours in a day. Their cheek teeth are tasked with the problem of reducing the fiber length of the forage they eat to around 3-4mm in length to allow for the bacteria in their hind gut to effectively digest the forage and to provide nutrients to the horse. The lips are responsible for grabbing food and pulling it into the mouth. The incisor or front teeth cut the grass or forage. Forage is moved

Photo 7. Radiograph of a 7 year old horse. Notice how long the teeth are.

The tooth outlined in red is 7.1cm long.

Notice how the chewing surfaces of the teeth are rough and have ridges (orange arrows)

Photo 8. Radiograph of a 27 year old horse. The tooth outlined in red is 2.3cm long. Notice the chewing surfaces of the teeth are smooth and sometimes concave (orange arrows). This horse is no longer able to eat hay. He is maintained on a diet of hay pellets.

Why Is All This Important?

Dental disease can be created and compounded by these massive chewing forces. Imagine if you had to chew all day long on a painful tooth! Small problems in the horse’s mouth become magnified when they chew with massive

forces on their teeth all day long. It is imperative that we as horse owners and professionals identify sources of dental pain and address them before they become big problems. A horse will not stop eating if he has dental pain from one or even a few teeth. If a horse stops eating or is losing weight from dental disease, then there are so many problems in the horse’s mouth that he no longer has anywhere comfortable to chew. A horse with just a few issues in their mouth will shift their chewing to avoid using painful teeth. Just because a horse is eating does not mean his mouth is pain free. In our well managed horses, dental pain presents sub-clinically or as performance problems and is often overlooked.

Recently a group of researchers from Finland published an article that linked cheek tooth dental pain not just to changes in eating and drinking behavior, but also to overall behavior and behavior when wearing a bit. A good, thorough oral exam with sedation,

bright light, a full mouth speculum and a mirror or endoscope is essential for finding problems in the horse’s mouth and keeping our equine companions comfortable. Your veterinarian cannot do a quick check to see IF your horse needs attention. Dental care begins with a complete oral examination and your horse should have one at least once a year.

Hopefully this article has helped you better understand both the value of a thorough oral exam and the function and anatomy of horse teeth.

In humans, oral health is associated with a longer, healthier life. The same is true for our equine companions. Equine dentistry has come a long way in the last 20 years. With good dentistry, we have the ability to prevent disease, improve our horse’s quality of life and improve our horse’s performance. Our horses will benefit greatly from these advancements if we look closely into their mouths.

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SEQM Educational Series

Nutrition

What’s the Scoop on Omega Fatty Acids?

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ou’ve probably heard of omega fatty acids, but there’s a lot of hype and a lot of conflicting information out there!

Let’s sort through the facts:

What Are Omega Fatty Acids?

Omega fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats: a long word for a long string of carbon atoms with two or more double bonds in the chain. Omega 3s have the double bond and carbon atom number 3 and omega 6s have the double bond at carbon 6. If you have seen omega 9 supplements advertised, you may

be guessing that they have the double bond at carbon number 9 and you’d be correct! These types of fatty acids are called essential fatty acids and that is because the body cannot make them, so they must be consumed in the diet.

There are three types of omega 3 fatty acids that must be provided by the diet and one type of omega 6. If you’re wondering about those omega 9s, they are considered partially essential because the body can make some of them itself.

other two types, and so can horses, but it’s not a super efficient system.

DHA is the major polyunsaturated fat found in the brain and is important for its development and function. EPA is converted to hormone-like compounds called eicosanoids. LA is the essential omega 6 that must be provided in the diet, and it is converted to a longer chain fatty acid called AA which can then be converted to eicosanoids.

Types Of Omegas

Eicosanoids regulate body functions like cell division, growth, blood clotting, and muscle activity as well as affecting our response to injury and infection.

The omega 3 called EPA forms an eicosanoid that tends to decrease inflammation and they are thought of as

Omega 3 fatty acids are probably the best known omegas because there is a lot of advertising around them. The three major omega 3s are ALA, DHA, and EPA. We can convert ALA to the

Eicosanoids

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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protective from things like heart attacks, strokes, and inflammatory diseases like asthma, arthritis and autoimmune conditions in humans. The omega 6 AA forms eicosanoids that increase the inflammatory response through processes like clotting, restricting blood vessel size, reducing bleeding and containing infections.

Inflammatory/ Anti-Inflammatory But wait- I don’t want my horse to have inflammation! That sounds really bad!

While we do not want excessive inflammation in the body, some inflammation is a good thing and critical for the body to begin the healing process. Omega 6s have gotten a bad rap in internet forums and Facebook groups because people hear “inflammation” and think it’s always a bad thing. We do not want to overload the body system with inflammation or omega 6s, but at the same time it is important to understand that omega 6s are still essential to the body and that inflammation is what starts the healing process as well as increasing muscle size and strength.

Omega 3s are touted as “antiinflammatory” but just providing them in the diet doesn’t clear the body of inflammation. It is more helpful to view these two things as essential parts of the daily diet that help the body function as it is supposed to. I also think it is helpful for horse owners to consider the ratio of omega 3 to 6 in the overall diet.

To oversimplify things, think of omega 3s and 6s as canceling each other out.

At the end of the day, you want to supplement more omega 3s than 6s.

There’s no researched, published ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 for horses, but based on research in other species, some nutritionists and vets recommend a daily intake of omega 6 to omega 3 to be between 5:1 and 10:1 ratio. You’ll need to account for the entire diet when

tallying those numbers up: grass, hay, feed, supplements etc…

Who Benefits?

Sources

All ages of horses benefit from appropriate omega supplementation.

Young horse’s brain development could be optimized with enough omega 3 fatty acids, performance horses benefit in the muscle and tissue recovery period. COPD/heaves horses can see benefits in breathing, and aged horses can see improvements in arthritis symptoms. Sufficient essential omega 6 in the diet helps horses recover from injury and illness; beginning the inflammatory response that slows bleeding and contains infection. There are equine-specific studies showing benefits of omega 3 supplementation in arthritic horses, lower airway disease, equine metabolic syndrome and insect hypersensitivity.

Where can your horse get these essential fatty acids? The easiest source is grass!

Grass contains a nice ratio of omega 3 to 6 fatty acids, and when consumed as the majority of the diet, easily provides enough to meet horses’ needs. While a horse eating solely forage does not take in a lot of fat - 2-3% normally the fat in fresh grass is as much as 55% Omega 3s. Omega fatty acids are not very heat stable, so most hay will have considerably less than grass but the amount of omega 3 will still be higher than that of omega 6.

Some oil seeds like flax contain a high amount of omega 3 fatty acids. The plant sources of omega 3s provide the type called ALA. The horse’s body must then convert it to DHA and EPA using enzymes.

Researchers have shown these enzymes are present in horses, however, horses who need some extra help from omega 3s due to disease or injury, feeding a source of omega 3s that are already in the DHA and EPA form can be helpful.

Fish oils and algae supplements are the easiest source of DHA and EPA to add to the diet.

You can buy supplements specifically created for horses, or you can use human supplements fed at an appropriate amount. When shopping for supplements, pay close attention to the amounts of omega 3 and 6s provided. If the supplement contains more 6s than 3s, it’s probably not a good purchase. Omega 6s are typically plentiful in the diet if the horse is eating a commercial feed or supplements because the main sources for it are common vegetable oils like soy, canola, safflower, sunflower, and corn and the grains/seeds those oils come from.

Stallions Omega 3s have been researched in the reproductive process also. Since this is the stallion issue, we will let them have the spotlight here: omega 3 supplementation has been shown to positively affect stallions whose semen is primarily collected for cooling and freezing for later AI. Goedde et al found that feeding a DHA-rich algae supplement fed for 60 days improved sperm motility in fresh and cooled semen samples. Texas A&M researchers, Adams et al, reported omega 3 supplementation could be beneficial for -increasing post-thaw sperm progressive motility. SchmidLausigk/Aurich published in the journal Theriogenology that supplementation with linseed (flax) decreased the natural decline in mobility and integrity of the fatty membrane around sperm cells in cooled semen.

How To Feed Them Research has shown that feeding a higher amount over a shorter duration has more positive benefits than feeding a lower dose over a longer amount

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

of time. This could be helpful for horses with diseases or exercise changes that are short term, or for where management situations require a decreased cost per day.

For most horses though, daily feeding of a good source of omega 3s is ideal. For horses who are not metabolically challenged, a great source of omega 3s is fresh grass. For horses who are unable to be on grass full-time, adding something like ground flax could be an economical and simple addition. Approximately 3-4 oz of ground flax daily will provide a similar amount of omega 3s to grazing on pasture for 24 hours. For horses with inflammatory disease states, adding a fish oil or algal oil supplement could provide higher levels of DHA and EPA.

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201 NORTH SYCAMORE ST. ABERDEEN, NC 28315 • (910) 944-1422

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All horses require essential Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids in their diet Omega 6s are not always bad Fresh grass, flax, and chia are good sources of the omega 3 called ALA, which the body can convert to DHA and EPA Fish oil and algae are good sources of DHA and EPA, which do not require further conversion Research has shown benefits of omega 3 supplementation for horses specifically, and also many other species including humans When purchasing supplements, check the amounts of omega 3s and 6s guaranteed on the label, and skip ones with higher omega 6 numbers Omega 3 supplementation is helpful for stallions who are being collected for AI

Acronym Decoder: ALA- alpha-linolenic acid DHA- eicosapentaenoic acid EPA- docosahexaenoic acid LA- linoleic acid AA- arachidonic acid

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Change is Coming!

We have found a new location, and will be moving closer to CHP in February!

Thank you to our community of equestrians for supporting us through this “transition”.

We are so appreciative of your kindness and comments and help. - Suzie J

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104 Knight St • Aberdeen, NC • (910) 944-5011 barndoorconsignments.com • Open Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri 12-5, Sat 9:30-1:30

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Beating the Wintertime

Blahs!

Fran Levy

W

inter – the season of crisp, clear days, energizing temperatures, and the excitement of the holidays. It can also be a season of sluggishness and the blues. The thought of doing much of anything, including going to the stable and riding, seems like a burden. You should be pumped up with energy and instead you feel guilty for losing your motivation (although, as we learned last month in “Time to Take A Break”, our horses are better off with a little downtime).

Actually, the seasonal slowdown is completely normal. We are the human ‘animal,’ and we react to Mother Nature’s seasonal changes like all the other critters. Our bodies want to go dormant. Because the days are shorter, we have less exposure to sunlight. That translates to a drop in our serotonin levels. Serotonin is sometimes called the ‘happy hormone’ because it plays a role in regulating our moods. Exposure to sunlight is one of the major ways we get serotonin. Not enough time spent outdoors, and we can start to

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slip into lethargy and depression. And as basically creatures of the light, we naturally want to slow down and go to shelter when it starts to get dark.

Combine the two and the idea of hibernating until the first daffodils show their sunny heads starts to sound like an excellent idea.

The worst example of low serotonin levels is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This is more than the usual wintertime blahs. Symptoms include persistent low mood, loss of interest in activities you normally enjoy, irritability, feeling worthless, fatigue and needing to sleep during the day, and craving carbohydrates. While any of these is normal periodically during winter, when they don’t go away, it could be a warning sign. Stress management techniques and light therapy (using special ‘natural light’ lighting sources) help.

One way to deal with this glumness is to change our habits. Deciding to change our daily routine over the winter is often positive. Routine means

just that – repeating the same thing on a predetermined schedule. That can be the basis of good habits, or it can be the prescription for boredom. In riding, a routine can be the foundation for improving our skills or a habitual pattern that grows as mindless as the route you take commuting to work every day.

Like us, our horses need and enjoy mental stimulation. At the stable, consider changing your ride times.

Develop a playlist of music and ride to that. Create a choreograph to the music (“My Guy” is perfect for simple moves on and off the saddle.) Try a different trainer in a different discipline for a few lessons. Dressage riders? Try trail rides or pop over small jumps. Hunters can practice the refined 20-meter circles of a dressage test. Attend clinics or demos even if their’re not ‘your’ type of riding.

Or get out of the saddle altogether.

Take a walk in the woods on a long line. Pull up a chair and read a book by the stall if it’s not too cold. That quiet companionship creates a closer

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?

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• 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!

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bond that carries on when the weather improves. An equine expo will pump you full of enthusiasm as you watch demonstrations, wander through the barns, and drain your checkbook in the vendor area. Treat yourself to new riding togs. There’s nothing like wanting to show off your new jacket to get you to the barn. And, of course, your horse needs a new halter, fresh brushes, and a pristine, untorn blanket (that might actually remain that way until the credit card statement arrives.)

Put a twist on groundwork. For most people groundwork means lunging or working in the round pen. But nowadays it also means playing games with our horses without any deadline or competitive goal. One of the fastest

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watch demonstrations on YouTube. (Rainy Day Horsemanship by Vanessa Bee, found at Horse and Rider Books, has dozens of easy-to-make obstacles and training tips.)

growing activities is Equine Agility. A cousin to canine agility, horse and rider negotiate obstacles and solve puzzles together. It requires refining our cues on the ground to have our horses respond to hand signals or targeted touch. It creates a deeper bond and translates into better communication in the saddle. You can link up with horse agility clubs on Facebook and

In your non-horsey life, winter is a time for selfcare and recharging your batteries. Finding pleasurable activities boosts your serotonin levels without going outside. Try something new, particularly if it gets your body moving. Get up early! That’s the number one bit of advice for beating the wintertime blues. Have a plan for the day, even if it’s just to refill the birdfeeders. Finishing one task leads to another and you’re now ‘up and moving.’

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Staying limber and active is more important as we age. Perhaps it’s time to join the gym. Pump a little iron with weight machines, which is shown to help build bone strength. Try yoga classes or swimming. Aqua aerobics in a heated pool when it’s cold outside is almost as good as a trip to the Caribbean. Even a daily stroll through the neighborhood is positive. Exercise releases endorphins – which are the ‘feel good’ chemicals.

You might not get the ‘runner’s high’ that long distance runners boast about, but you’ll feel good and be proud of yourself.

Exercise your brain, too. Colleges offer non-credit courses both in the classroom and online. There are book clubs at libraries and online. Catch up with old friends and family. Even write letters – real letters on stationery (shock of shock!) – something you always mean to do but never get around to doing. Start a journal or that novel you’ve always planned to write.

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Volunteer at libraries, hospitals, food banks, or any other agency. You’ll feel as though you are contributing, which is important when you might otherwise feel marginal. On the internet, take virtual tours of museums across the globe (including a self-guided tour of the Great Pyramid) or virtual walking tours of London (www.walks.com.)

These are so popular that many of the repeat ‘walkers’ stay online after the walk to chat. This means you get to meet folks from around the world. Learn a new language with any one of the free online courses. Listen to podcasts.

There are at least 50 horse-oriented ones and hundreds of others covering topics from ‘solving the mystery of the Dead Princes in the Tower of London’ to ‘financial tips for retirees’.

Don’t despair in the winter! Change your way of thinking and use the time to relax, refresh, and recharge. You’ll be upbeat and enthusiastic when spring arrives.

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How the Small Breeding Stallions are Making a Big Impact Mary McCashin

W

hen an adorable pony enters the arena or prances around pulling a cart, folks can’t help but proclaim how fancy or cute they are. After all, they’re the foundation of every equestrian’s dream – we all just wanted a pony.

Deborah Branson did not take the direct route to pony breeding.

Originally Deborah was a US Navy Officer, and one of the first women helicopter pilots. She’d grown up literally saving her pennies for a pony

horses would fit into her life. In 2001 she discovered the sport of driving, which led her to Welsh Ponies.

Deborah’s Odyssey Farm proudly stands Heavenly Silver Crown, owned

Stallions have a similar ability to grab attention. Whether it is in the show ring, in a childhood tale, or simply an advertisement in a magazine – you can’t help but take notice of their majestic presence.

Now imagine combining the power and presence of a stallion and making it pony sized - that’s just what two successful breeders in the Sandhills Area have done. While the breeding programs of Angie Mirarchi and Deborah Branson are quite different as far as genetics and sport, the foundation is the same for both women. They want to breed nice minded ponies that are fancy, athletic, easy to handle, and easy to market for their ability to produce solid genetics.

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Heavenly Silver Crown

and she came up with all sorts of business ventures to fund her passion.

In 1999, Deborah was diagnosed with cancer and had to reevaluate how

by Hidden Springs Farm’s Diane Randolph. Silver Crown, as he’s affectionately known, is a Welsh Section A pony stallion who stands 11.1 hands.

It’s as though their paths were meant to cross as both Deborah and Silver Crown hail from Oklahoma. As a yearling Silver Crown went to the Welsh Pony Nationals and was crowned a Supreme Champion, and from there on his future looked bright. Despite his amazing credentials and due to no fault of his own, Silver Crown has never been trained to ride or drive. Deborah and previous owners have never been successful at collecting him so he’s only available for pasture breeding.

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“He’s just adorable and so cute. He looks like the perfect Breyer horse pony.

He’s extremely kind and gentle. He has only ever been a gentleman to handle, and a gentleman to the mares. He is quite the classic, mannered pony.”

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Deborah prides herself on the quality of her Welsh ponies, and loves to promote the breed by sponsoring High Score awards at many competitions around North Carolina. Section A Welsh’s (also called Welsh Mountain Ponies), like Heavenly Silver Crown, can stand a maximum of 12.2 hands (in the United States). They are well known for their friendly personalities, intelligence, and their trainability. They are known to excel in a wide variety of disciplines, especially the hunters where their lovely flat knee action is desirable.

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“They’re just such a usable breed, even if it’s not in the hunter ring. I love driving them and the Moore County Driving Club has really grown in members due to ponies! At our last competition there were 36 driving teams.”

Deborah talks about Silver Crown as though he’s her own child – her pride beaming through her voice as she speaks highly of his brains, poise, talent, and athleticism. The coming seventeen-year-old grey pony certainly has a fan base – in many diversified fields. A quick search of social media results in multiple posts calling attention to the great genetics he passes along to his offspring.

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While Heavenly Silver Crown makes breeding his focus, Angie Mirarchi’s 12-year-old, Phenix, brings the pony stallion flair to the dressage arena.

Mirarchi’s Jovee Farm in Brown Summit, NC is home to the 14.3h ISR/Oldenburg NA Pony Stallion.

He is the result of some of the best German Riding Pony and Welsh Cob lines. His dam, Clanfair Mary Kay is a 2004 Section D Welsh Cob mare with an excellent dressage pedigree that includes many Welsh Pony and Cob Society of America (WPCSA) Legion of Merit winners. His sire, Popeye, was the Reserve Champion of the USDF East Coast Stallion finals at Dressage at Devon. He has shown his versatility, competing through Fourth Level dressage (with scores in the 70’s), and training level eventing.

Phenix and 14-year-old junior rider Olivia Goble

Angie never had aspirations of standing a stallion, but Phenix was never a problem to handle so she left him intact.

When she started her program, Angie was surprised how few German Riding

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Ponies there were in the United States.

The gene pool was very small, and no frozen semen was being imported from overseas at that time. Angie’s program was geared towards dressage and raising dressage ponies, all while keeping bloodlines very pure.

Currently Phenix is being shown by 14-year-old junior rider Olivia Goble in the dressage world and they are taking it by storm.

“I contacted my reproductive vet, Vickie Newell, and asked who she would recommend to compete Phenix. She led me to Olivia, and she and Phenix have been an amazing match ever since. He’s bred to be a performance horse and first and foremost that is what he is. He is so respectful at shows, even around mares. He knows that his job is in the dressage arena.”

This year the pair finished the season with a success streak. At the NCDCTA Autumn Leaves Dressage Show, they were awarded the NCDCTA Championship in both the Training and First Level Junior Divisions. At the Great American Insurance Group/ Region 1 USDF Championships/ VADA Fall Competition their best score was 69% for first place In the Training Level Test-of-Choice class, then 4th and finishing 5th with a 66.5% in the Training Level Championships class - earning them an alternate spot for Nationals.

At Jovee Farm Phenix’s paddock overlooks the whole farm. He has full, almost literal reign, of the kingdom he has helped build. He gets his daily dose of head scratches and love from both Angie Mirarchi and Olivia Goble – the little stallion that changed their lives. Phenix will continue his career as a performance horse, and only frozen semen is available at this time.

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“I actually bought his dam, Clanfair Mary Kay, without even seeing her in person. She had an excellent pedigree that included many Welsh Pony and Cob Society of America Legion of Merit Winners. She became a huge part of our breeding program and has helped diversify some lines as we’ve progressed. We needed to expand the gene pool! His sire, Popeye, had the best walk of any German Riding Pony I’d seen. The plan was to never stand a stallion, but Phenix just had a really wonderful mind. He’s always been super easy to handle and very respectful. So we decided to make the best of both worlds – a stallion bred for performance, and a way to diversify bloodlines.”

Phenix’s attributes have made him desirable for a diverse group of mares.

He received his certified Breeding License with the ISR/Oldenburg NA Registry in 2015 and in 2018 he was Westphalen accepted. Breeders can register their offspring using Welsh Pony and Cob Society of America as well.

d le Fit ti n

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Breeding the Future: Hassinger Farm is Harnessing Innovation to Improve Breeding Cassidy Oeltjen

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Pictures: Lisa Miyamoto

O

ver the past few decades, advances in technology have significantly altered our lives. Everything from the way we communicate to how we travel - nothing resembles the practices of yesteryear. The same goes for how we manage our horses, and how horses are bred.

Hassinger Farm, located in Aberdeen, is on the forefront of all aspects of horse management innovation. Situated on nearly 70 beautiful acres in the heart of horse country, it is home to the only full-service equine rehabilitation center on the East Coast. They also continually develop new products to help horse and rider, operate a mobile clinic that travels the country to help diagnose and treat performance horses, and run one of the premier breeding facilities in the United States (to name just a few of their services!).

where she ultimately received her PhD in Reproductive Physiology from Kansas State University.

She did return to her alma mater to take a faculty position, but it was ultimately a connection from Kansas that led her to the Hassingers.

“As much as I loved teaching and research, my heart was still ultimately in the breeding industry so I was open to leaving academia to return to industry,” she recalled. “It really is a small world because one of my veterinarians in Kansas now lives in the Sandhills area and she told me one day that I should reach out to Amy Hassinger because

“Our program is really designed for the athlete that is also intended to be used for breeding. The combination of the reproduction center with the rehabilitation facilities really gives us a unique opportunity to be able to keep mares and stallions fit (and in some instances, perhaps even more fit) while they are here for breeding.”

The results of their management practices are pretty remarkable.

They currently stand several resident stallions who are also still very active and successful in the show ring.

Their two tall, dark and handsome warmblood stallions are making a name

The farm (and its plethora of amenities) is the result of years of dreaming and planning by Dr. James and Amy Hassinger. In addition to developing a cutting edge program, both Hassingers are avid and accomplished competitors, an attribute that drives them to keep advancing and improving all areas of horse management.

Their commitment to providing clientele with a premium experience led them to bringing on Dr. Chelsea Sinclair as the Breeding and Stallion Manager of the Reproductive Center.

Dr. Sinclair originally saw her equine career going in the direction of show barn management, but after completing a program on breeding while attending Clemson University, she fell in love with the science behind reproduction and the art of successful breeding programs.

Although she did get the opportunity to manage a competition barn after college, she decided to pursue her newfound passion at one of the leading graduate programs in the country. She packed up and moved to the Midwest,

Sir Sandro (by Sandro Boy out of Epona)

they were developing a reproduction center and it all kind of came into fruition from there!”

Hassinger’s fresh perspective of the management of breeding horses is ultimately what drew Dr. Sinclair to the sandhills.

“For the most part, breeding horses and show horses are typically managed quite differently,” said Dr. Sinclair.

for themselves in the hunter and derby rings, while also producing premium hunter and jumper offspring. Cadouch Z (by Calvaro Z out of Nelson Z), a 14-year-old striking bay Zangersheide stallion, was a grand prix show jumper before being imported in 2022. Since then, he has been competing in hunter derbies, consistently scoring in the 90s. Sir Sandro (by Sandro Boy out of Epona), is the 17-year-old black stallion that childhood dreams are

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made of. He has led a very successful amateur/owner hunter career, and was most recently in the Top 5 at the 2023 International Hunter Derby Finals.

Hassigner residents also include world renowned AQHA and APHA stallions.

Figure Im Invited is a multiple World and Congress Champion in western,

“Cadouch Z and Sir Sandro spend their winters down in Wellington showing and then return home to North Carolina to stand from April through July,” Dr. Sinclair explained.

“No Doubt This Is Hot stands from February through June and then travels in the late summer/early fall to the majors/championship shows. He will

Stallions have the innate ability to detect small consistencies in their management, making a strict routine very important to their performance.

Things as simple as who is handling them, what halter they are wearing, or even how they are being groomed can make a difference as to whether they are being ridden or going to be collected. By

No Doubt This Is Hot (by No Doubt Absolute out of Hoping For Hot Iron)

halter and trail events. He is by Invitation Only out of the incredible mare, Go Figer who is an all-time leading NSBA earner of over $53k. Dr. Sinclair’s own No Doubt This Is Hot (by No Doubt Absolute out of Hoping For Hot Iron) is a multiple World and Reserve World Champion and multiple Congress Top 5/Top 10 performer in the hunter under saddle and over fence events. They will also be introducing Al Call You Later (by Allocate Your Assets out of Jazz In The Park) who, at four years old, is already an APHA World and Reserve World Champion in hunter under saddle and pleasure driving.

Even though advances in the process of foaling mean that breeding timeline isn’t as limited as it once was, all of the Hassinger boys stick to a fairly strict schedule.

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also be showing down in Florida for several weeks this winter. This will be the first year that Al Call You Later will be standing, but his year will look very similar to No Doubt This Is Hot’s.”

Dr. Sinclair explained why the need for a schedule is imperative to the stallion’s success, both in the show ring and in breeding. “First off, physiologically speaking, semen quality varies yearround and begins to decline in the fall through winter. Secondly, breeding/ collecting is physically taxing on them, so we certainly want to give them breaks from that. And finally, they are also show horses - and they do get ridden and even show during the breeding season because they are good-minded enough to do so - but, I prefer that they be able to primarily focus on one or the other.”

honing in on this procedure for each of their stallions, the Hassinger program cultivates a good work-life balance for their horses. ”Day-to-day they just get to be horses like the others - they get their turnout time in the morning, come in to be collected or ridden, and of course plenty of cookies,” reflected Dr. Sinclair.

The ability to specify each stallion’s schedule is partially due to the advancements in the breeding process.

While live covering is still used in specific breeds like thoroughbreds (where the registry requires it) and local breeding operations, practices like artificial insemination have broadened the boundaries of what stallions can do and where their offspring can go. The stallions at Hassinger are only collected for artificial insemination, which also means they never need to work around

mare’s cycles or specific schedules.

“We are no longer restricted by geography when making our breeding choices,” Dr Sinclair said. “And really, embryo transfer and ICSI is becoming so commonplace these days, the breeding landscape looks drastically different from how it did even 10-15 years ago.”

“Artificial insemination has an abundance of benefits,” she continued. “it is generally safer for all involved (handlers, stallion, mare), you can breed more mares from one ejaculate which reduces the pressure on the stallion, it is better from a genital hygiene and biosecurity standpointy, and you can chill the semen for shipping or freeze it for international transport and future use.”

The stallions are not the only ones benefiting from Hassinger’s broad cutting-edge portfolio. Dr. Sinclair has used the opportunity to reassess how different management practices can be integrated into a breeding program.

“For the most part, breeding horses and show horses are typically managed quite differently,” she emphasized.

“Our program is really designed for the show athlete that is also intended to be used for breeding. The combination of the reproduction center with the rehabilitation facilities really gives us a unique opportunity to be able to keep mares and stallions fit while they are here for breeding.”

Like the flourishing growth of the rest of Hassinger’s offerings, Dr. Sinclair aims to keep growing and expanding the Reproductive Center, offering more advanced services in collection and insemination, including cuttingedge technology such as ICSI (Intra cytoplasmic sperm injection).

Cadouch Z (by Calvaro Z out of Nelson Z)

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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 Rehab and Breeding Specials in 2024.

Happy New Year!

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‘All In:’ Former Southern Pines Event Rider Christan Trainor is Advancing Australian Dressage Breeding Mary Kate Murphy

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I

n the five or six millennia since horses were first domesticated, humans have selectively bred them to be faster, stronger, better moving and more cooperative.

Modern equestrian disciplines combine those traits in differing proportions.

Horses populating the arenas at the Olympics, FEI championships, and local schooling shows worldwide owe their abilities to a chain of breeding decisions that began long before the advent of competitive dressage or development of contemporary warmblood registries.

South Wales, southwest of Sydney.

But the thousands of miles seemed less formidable in light of Australia’s widespread equestrian culture and impressive eventing results on the international level. So in 2010 Trainor uprooted her life and business to follow her heart.

Trainor had also exported her competition horse All Purpose Brown, a Thoroughbred exracehorse. She evented “Spike” in Australia up to the old three-star level before retiring him.

Christan Trainor never planned on becoming part of that tradition, but now she is. A decade on, some of Australia’s top young dressage horses owe their origins to a place as remote to them as the Eurasian steppe: North Carolina.

Trainor’s name might sound familiar to riders who were active on the local dressage and eventing scenes in the late 2000s.

After moving to Southern Pines from Chatham County in 2008, she ran a successful eventing program based primarily out of Denny Emerson’s Tamarack Hill Farm. That move put her in the path of fate: while in Southern Pines, Trainor met and fell in love with Scott Britnell, who was serving in the Australian special forces at the time “I was so happy there and I had super owners,” Trainor recalls. “It was great and I certainly never intended to meet anyone and move halfway around the world.”

“Halfway around the world” meant the scenic Southern Highlands of New

competed up to the Preliminary level, but a pasture injury sidelined the mare for a few years. Her bloodlines — sired by the sport horse sire Mokhieba — and performance record made the chance to breed her a gleaming silver lining.

By the time Gracie came to Australia it was with a colt sired by the prolific UKbased eventing sire Jumbo by her side.

Trainor intended to return Gracie to competition as well, but the mare regained enough soundness to return to upper level eventing.

So Gracie became the foundation broodmare of Glenhill Sporthorses, producing event horses and jumpers by stallions like Contendro I and Vivant van de Heffinck. By the time “Spike” retired, Trainor had decided to redirect her focus to dressage and breeding.

“Christan Trainor never planned on becoming part of that tradition, but now she is.”

At that point she had already dipped a toe into breeding with her Thoroughbred mare, Morchant. Trainor purchased ‘Gracie’ as a 3-year-old on the advice of her longtime mentor Lisa Reid. By the time Gracie was 7, the pair had

“It just sort of all evolved and I found doing dressage quite fun.

Eventing was so time consuming at high level: galloping and cross-country schooling, and going to competitions and having to be there for days on end,” she said. “I’m not going to say that dressage breeding is easy, but I found breeding an event horse is the hardest thing ever to do. You never know if a horse has the heart to go upper levels until it goes upper levels. In dressage, you really can breed with the potential to have a Grand Prix horse.”

So Trainor and Britnell bought a 40 acre farm and built their facility,

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adding indoor and outdoor arenas, replacing fencing and renovating the existing structures. But during breeding and foaling season, (concentrated through Australia’s spring months of September, October and November) the last thing the former eventer has time to do is ride. Most of her energy goes into the work of putting 15 to 20 foals on the ground every year.

Karen O’Connor. She her Young Rider’s horse through the Advanced level, then did the same thing with the super-pony Theodore O’Connor.

When Trainor returned to college, the reason she only double majored was because the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill had no formal mechanism for declaring three paths of study.

Glenhill Sporthorse’s approach to producing dressage prospects is probably a function of Trainor’s all-ornothing approach to life. This is, after all, the woman who produced her offthe-track Thoroughbred to the upper levels as a high school student and competed at the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships two-star (now three-star) at the age of 18. Trainor then deferred a college scholarship to ride full-time, traveling up and down the East Coast to train with the likes of Jimmy Wofford and

So perhaps it’s only natural that she’s traded in gridwork and trot sets for an almost scholarly devotion to studying the bloodlines of up-and-coming international dressage stars and sleepless nights foaling out mares — sometimes two or three in a matter of hours. Of the 12 Hanoverian and German Riding Pony mares in Trainor’s breeding program, most now bear Glenhill’s four-leaf clover brand on their left shoulder. And they are not the typical pastured broodmare band. The mares are

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first and foremost competition horses.

Once bred, their embryos are harvested and transferred to recipient mares who carry pregnancies and raise foals.

Breeding almost exclusively with frozen semen from stallions based in Europe, usually sourced and imported by July, might even be the least stressful part of the process. But it means the breeding mares are free to realize their competitive potential under professional Grand Prix rider Riley Alexander. Trainor may spend her nights on foal watch during breeding season, but the days are no more restful.

“We are pretty full on during breeding season, pretty much up all night foaling out and then driving mares back and forth to the vet all day long for months on end,” Trainor said. “Doing it this way we get to enjoy the mares. We’re breeding such nice mares and we want them to have a competition career like they were bred to do. They are mares I would have dreamed

to have back when I was younger, but could never have afforded. And now I have the best horses I could ever have and I’m supporting someone to ride them. It’s like I’ve come full-circle.”

“If you know your lines you really do know what you’re getting. If you wait, you’re 25 years behind. Every generation is leaping ahead so much in a good way,”

Glenhill Vivid, by Vitalis out of a Zonik mare, was the overall 5-yearold champion at this year’s Sydney CDI. She’s already produced five foals for Glenhill by Morricone, Ibiza, Bon Coeur, Kjento and Glamourdale. New Star LP, the most advanced of the string, is coming 9 and competing at Prix St. Georges and Intermediate I. New Star was the Sydney CDI Advanced champion and was recently named to the Dressage New South Wales High Performance Squad with Alexander.

A 4-year-old daughter, Glenhill Totil Star by Totilas, has been started under saddle. Totil Star’s first foal by Bon Coeur was born this year and, like most Glenhill offspring, sold in-utero.

As a general rule, Trainor doesn’t keep the colts. But there’s one exception: Glenhill also stands a homebred Germany Riding Pony stallion, Glenhill Mr. Hollywood. Now licensed for breeding by the Westfalen Verband in Germany, “Nacho” was the 4-Year-Old Pony Champion at both the Sydney CDI and Dressage and Jumping With the Stars. Trainor describes the ponies

as “smaller warmbloods that are very easy.” That appealed to her, as she can go weeks without riding at the height of breeding season and a pony is usually her mount of choice to pull out of the field after a break. Nacho is no exception. Alexander rides him at home, but at competitions the flashy bay is catch-ridden by the more petite professional Allison Gill.

debut in the competition arena for years. Sometimes Trainor holds off on marketing in utero if she might want a filly from that cross for herself, but colts, once born, usually find a buyer within weeks. When this year’s Glenhill Vivid foal by Glamourdale hit the ground, Trainor almost wished she could tear up the sales contract and keep the filly for herself.

“You’ve got to have really rideable horses for someone to get on a 4-yearold stallion only at a competition and win everything,” said Trainor. “We just didn’t geld him and he was so easy, then I thought you know what I’ll see if I can get him licensed in Germany. He has the sweetest, most lovely temperament, lives just like the other horses, never had a chain on. He’s had a full studbook this season, so I guess we’ll just see how it goes.”

“It sold in utero to a really great rider so I’m happy. The whole point of me breeding all these horses is to put good horses under good riders, so it’s really nice to see them selling and going on and doing really well,” said Trainor. “I think time flies faster than you think, and I think riders here appreciate having a horse from a foal and knowing what they’re getting. They can raise it the way they want to, they can feed it the way they want to. At the end of the day I just would like to have riders on the flashiest, best horses possible.”

For the most part, Trainor hasn’t looked back. She’s thinking ahead, in terms of generations, with the goal of helping create such a selection of domesticallybred dressage prospects that Australian riders will have no need to go overseas.

She tries to breed the lines that riders want, and what she herself would choose to ride. Trainor embraces the use of younger stallions that some breeders might consider unproven.

“If you know your lines you really do know what you’re getting. If you wait, you’re 25 years behind. Every generation is leaping ahead so much in a good way,” she said. “The young horses, when you sit on their backs for the first time they’re naturally on the bit and through and swinging. They’re so purpose-bred that it’s not hard for them.”

For more information about Trainor’s breeding program, visit glenhillsporthorses.com or follow Glenhill Sporthorses on Facebook.

Amateurs and professionals alike among Australian dressage riders are buying in. Each year more and more foals sell before they’re even born, and Trainor hasn’t noticed much reluctance among riders to invest in foals that won’t

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Stallion Stories ~

Powerful Steeds That Have Shaped the Sandhills Ray Owen

E

verybody has a stallion story, from one about a horse that reared up to stomp the life out of you to a gentle pet that does tricks. Their temperaments vary widely based on genetics and training, and with careful management they are fantastic equine athletes of the highest caliber.

The oldest stallion story involves Pegasus, the winged horse in Greek mythology. Highland Scots were among the area’s earliest European settlers who established their first colony here in 1739. They called the highest ridge Mount Helicon, named for the mountain in Greek mythology where Pegasus struck his hoof on a rock with such force that water sprang forth.

In present-day Southern Pines, water draining from this ridge forms the headwaters of James Creek that runs along the eastern edge of what is now Horse Country.

Throughout the 19th century, local newspapers regularly listed stallions for sale or for breeding. Other news accounts were more dire, such as an 1891 story in The Carthage Blade reporting that William Monroe of Cameron had “met a most horrible death.” He went into the lot where his stallion was confined, when the horse sprang upon him, stamped and bit him

great animal acts of the early 20th century.

until he was almost dead. His abdomen was “chewed to a perfect loblolly” and he died shortly thereafter.

Contrast this with a story from the 1970s, telling about Dr. Susan Connors foxhunting her white stallion, Stonewall Jackson. The horse was a great jumper and could do anything. In fact, Connors quartered the horse behind a meat packing plant near Vass where the owner used the stallion to plow his spring garden.

There have been many great stallions at the Pinehurst Harness Track, the oldest continuously operating equine sports facility in the state. In the 1920s, the site hosted the Sandhills Fair, one of the major county fairs in the Southeast.

“Belmont’s Eighteen Spirited Stallions” was an annual feature, performing within the confines of the track. The stallion show was reportedly among the

In February 1965, The Pilot newspaper reported that a Russian colt called Blilsky had arrived in Pinehurst after a lengthy passage to America. The young black stallion was one of seven colts traded for American trotter Apex Hanover by owner Royal Cleveland of Pinehurst. The other six went to breeding farms throughout the country. The paper reported that American racing trotters and pacers had been bred to “a fine-boned, almost brittle, perfection,” and it was hoped that the Russian strain would strengthen the U.S. breed.

Blizky was owned by Bill Fleming and trained at his stable at the Pinehurst track. Fleming had driven Apex Hanover to victory in 1964 at Moscow’s Hippodrome - the first race with an American horse entered since the Russian Revolution. After being traded in Russia, Apex Hanover continued to win races, driven by the nation’s top trainer, Maria Alexandra Bourdova.

“I came down here in 1977,” says Scott Norris, a former Pinehurst Harness Track trainer. “We moved here from Long Island. My father, Bucky, and I had raced horses at Yonkers, Meadowlands and racetracks in the Northeast. Through the years,

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some high-quality stallions have come through here. There aren’t many places like it on the East Coast or anywhere else for that matter. It’s a good place for working with a yearling or two-year old.”

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“Stallions make pretty good trotting horses,” Norris explains. “They’re generally well-mannered because if they weren’t, they’d be gelded. They might be a little noisy but not physically aggressive. I’ve seen high-strung Thoroughbreds that could hurt you.

As a general rule, Standardbreds have a good temperament and that’s what you’re dealing with here. If he’s well behaved with good bloodlines, you’re tempted not to geld him.”

“Our number one stallion was Governor Skipper, a pacer who was world champion and horse of the year. He was owned by William Wirtz, who also owned the Chicago Black Hawks,” reflects Norris. “Governor Skipper was a good-looking horse that ran around 16 hands. We had him as a two, three and four-year old, and he made over a million dollars in earnings.

His bloodlines were just impeccable, top-notch. He went to stallion after his four-year-old season and sired a lot of nice horses.”

In the mid-1970s, the Village Chapel in Pinehurst held an annual “blessing of the horses” that always included stallions. The minister would lead the congregation to the lawn where horses and riders had gathered. After a prayer, the horsemen were introduced along the names and ages of their horses.

In the case of the harness horses, their records were given with a brief history, such as Battle Round, a oneyear-old stallion led by John Rounds of Whispering Pines, by Battle Umber whose grandfather was Man 0 War.

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Located near Southern Pines, Little River Farm was once the 870-acre estate of Adrian de Pasquale and his

wife, Roisin O’Rahilly, established in the mid-twentieth century. “At one time we had eight of the top stallions in the country,” said O’Rahilly. “They were all Quarter Horses. We bred mares and had visiting mares. There was a big-name stallion, He’s A Dude, owned by Jerry Davis of the Houston Lake Quarter Horse Ranch in Perry, Georgia. It was a successful program

He’s A Dude

that ran for three or four years. We decided it was too much to do with all the horse shows that we were putting on.”

and show prospects. From 1918-1948, the Remount Service provided horses to Army units and many American horses trace their pedigrees back to this program. During its peak years, the Remount Service placed 700 stallions on ranches and farms throughout the country.

The Mosses obtained two young stallions at the Remount sale: an American two-year-old and a German three-year-old, imported after WWII. The German stud was outstanding as to conformation, according to the experts.

The Mosses had their eyes on him when the bidding commenced, but when his price began to soar they dropped out.

Later, a friend negotiated with the winning bidder, who sold the horse to the Mosses when he understood that they intended to keep him for breeding purposes.

In November 1952, The Pilot reported that Mrs. Moss would be hunting her favorite dark chestnut stud, Battlewick, one of the Remount horses. The paper went on to say that the horse was unusually quiet and gentle for a stallion, and was a fine jumper that had turned into a good whip’s horse under the expert handling of his owner. By 1953, Mrs. Moss was hunting Battlewick three days a week.

Mile Away was another farm that stood stallions, established in 1937 by Mr. and Mrs. W.O. Moss, known as Pappy and Ginnie respectively. The farm is among the region’s most significant historic sites, named for its location a mile away from the train station in Southern Pines.

“I arrived at Mile Away Farm in 1970,” recalled Mike Russell. “I worked there for a year or so, riding two- and threeyear-olds. The most famous stallion owned by the Mosses was Battlewick.

He was by Battleship (1927–1958), who was Marion duPont Scott’s horse. Battleship was the only horse in history to win both the American Grand National and the British Grand National steeplechase races.”

In June 1949, The Pilot reported that the Mosses had acquired six horses in El Reno, Oklahoma. The sale was conducted by the U.S. Army Remount Service, and were some fine hunter

“Ginnie Moss acquired Battlewick from a guy named Cappy Smith in Virginia,” says Russell. “He wasn’t a full thoroughbred, more like 7/8ths.

He was real easy to get along with and

Song of Myself (Section 32)

By Walt Whitman

A gigantic beauty of a stallion, fresh and responsive to my caresses, Head high in the forehead, wide between the ears, Limbs glossy and supple, tail dusting the ground, Eyes full of sparkling wickedness – ears finely cut, flexibly moving. His nostrils dilate, as my heels embrace him; His well-built limbs tremble with pleasure, as we race around and return.

The Spirit of Walt Whitman John Bradley Storrs (1885-1956) Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas

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well behaved. Mr. Moss used to do tricks with him, bowing down and stuff like that.”

Battlewick sired a lot of good show horses including one called Showdown, born and bred at Mile Away in 1963.

He ended up being called Spindletop Showdown and was champion in the country for five years. A man called Bobby Burke, who was a close friend of the Mosses, brought Showdown as a yearling. Everything was perfect about how he was built. Mr. Burke took him to Virginia and then sold him to Kenny and Sallie Wheeler. Showdown racked up one championship after another, in Green and Regular Conformation Hunter divisions, during his time with the Wheelers.

“They had another stallion called Palestro,” says Russell. “He was bred by the Aga Khan, who used to breed horses in England and Ireland. He was

by Palestine (1947–1974), a famous racehorse in Europe. Palestro was there when I arrived at Mile Away. He was a thoroughbred but had a really wide chest and was highly muscled.

Battlewick had a couple of mares that had some famous foals and they bred Palestro back to those mares to improve him.”

“There were a couple of stallions later on,” Russell adds. “LP Tate gave Mr. Moss one, Spirit of 76. They had another one called What-A-Tele that Mrs. Moss hunted. He was really well mannered. This was in the late 1970s.

There used to be a rule at the horse shows that ladies and children couldn’t show stallions. I think Ginnie Moss was one of the first women to do it. She was really good, a terrific rider.”

“Mickey Walsh (1906-1993) had a horse called Independence, who was a really good sire,” continues Russell. “Walsh was an Irish trainer who founded the Stoneybrook Steeplechase in Southern Pines. Among the most recognizable

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horses sired by Independence was Gozzi, in the mid-60s to early-70s.

Bucky Reynolds bought him as a green horse. He was a beautiful mover.

Anyone who encountered him knew he was special and he’s remembered as the ‘fanciest’ horse anyone had ever seen. This earned Gozzi a spot in the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame.”

Denny Emerson (born 1941) was the owner of Tamarack Hill Farm in Southern Pines where they stood stallions. Emerson is the only equestrian to have won both an international gold medal in eventing and a Tevis Cup buckle in endurance. He was a member of the United States Three

Aberjack and Mark Todd

Day Eventing Team that won the gold medal at the 1974 Eventing World Championships.

According to Emerson, standing stallions is a tie linking the past, present and future – always with the hope that the horse of your dreams is just around the corner. “We bought our Southern Pines farm in 1989 and were there 31 years. Back then, the horses we stood were Thoroughbred or mostly Thoroughbred.”

“Among the horses we stood was one called Aberjack, sent by Mark Todd from New Zealand. I also stood Epic Wind, a great stallion. Others were Forfeit, Formula One, Loyal Pal, Prussian Blue, Reputed Testimony,

Right Of Light, and Wintry Oak. There’s probably a couple more that I might have overlooked.”

“What we were doing was pretty unique.

These were mostly winners that didn’t make it as big-time racehorse sires but were sound horses. They were the ones that I thought would be good for the toughness of long-format, three-day eventing like we used to have.”

“When you compete a stallion they have a little more presence. I competed with three and they’re always up, always on show. They can be a nuisance because they’re looking to get in trouble. You’ve got to be careful around other horses and you can never let your guard down. But if you have a good one that’s athletic and sane enough to win – that’s what you wanted in those days.”

“A stallion comes out of the barn and stands like ‘look at me.’ I’m not anthropomorphic enough to think that they do it to impress a person. They raise their head like a horse on the range, saying ‘take me if you can.’ It’s an attitude, an aggressive, domination kind of thing.”

“I don’t want to imply that every stallion is a raging manic, but they have it in them. At any given moment, under the right circumstances, they can get tuff fast. Stallions fight in the wild to see who gets to be the dominant sire.

Male colts rear, strike and bite, and an uncastrated horse can be an aggressive animal.”

“I stood a stallion at Ginnie Moss’s called Not Surprised,” says Emerson.

“I had a horse that died, booked to him. Ginnie was so wonderful, she said if I wanted to take Not Surprised up to Vermont, I could have him for the summer. That’s the kind of person she was. It was a different world when she was alive – it was just a different world.”

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Calendar JANUARY January 6

Saturday Hounds on the Grounds Weymouth Center Southern Pines, NC 28387

January 7

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

January 13

Saturday NCHJA Annual Meeting and Awards Banquet Pinehurst Resort, Pinehurst, NC Saturday Pipe Opener I Carolina Horse Park 2814 Montrose Road Raeford, NC 28376

January 18

Thursday Weymouth Equestrian Volunteer Work Day and Tack Sale Weymouth Center Barn, Southern Pines, NC 27607

January 19-21

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

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January 20 Saturday NCDCTA Awards Gala Greensboro, NC

January 21 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

FEBRUARY February 17

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

February 18

Saturday Pipe Opener 2 Carolina Horse Park 2814 Montrose Road Raeford, NC 28376

February 19

Sunday Pinehurst Schooling 4 Pinehurst Harness Track 200 Beulah Hill Road S. Pinehurst, NC 28374

Calendar February 23-26

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

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Congratulations

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