S Riding and Training Centre

Just a reminder of the privilege we are given when a horse goes against its survival instincts and allows us to sit on it and guide its energy for our use. And when they don’t, call the Veterinarian before insisting the horse carry us no matter what.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=840889104725344&id=100064127858651

https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/stop-one-day-early-rather-than-one-day-late/

Stop One Day Early Rather Than One Day Late - The Chronicle of the Horse Losing a horse is not a new experience around these parts. Whenever one of my fellow authors posts about a loss, I know it is something we can all relate to. While terribly sad, the circle of the equine life is something we can all understand and have empathy for.

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NBC Broadcast Schedule Equestrian
Time Zone: EDT
***Dressage***
July, 30: 5:00 AM(Digital Only), 11:00 AM(on E), Dressage Team
July 31: 4:00 AM(Digital Only), 10:00 AM(on E), Dressage Team
August 3: 4:00 AM(Digital Only), 3:00 PM (on E)Team Final
August 4: 4:00 AM(Digital Only), 3:45 (on E)Dressage Grand Prix Freestyle Individual Final 5:00 PM(Paris Extra) Encore Coverage

*Eventing:
July 27: 3:30 AM, (on USA) 8:00 AM (Digital Only)4:30 PM Dressage (on E)
July 28: 4:30 AM (Digital Only), 10:30 AM(on E), 7:00 PM Cross Country (on USA)
July 29: 5:00 AM (Digital Only), 7:00 AM (on E)& 9:00 PM (on USA) Team/Individual

*Jumping
August 1: 5:00 AM(Digital), 3:45(on E) Team Qualifier
August 2: 8:00 AM(on E, 11:15(Boston 10 Ch 506), 9:00 PM(on USA) Team Final
August 5: 8:00 AM(Digital) 4:00PM(on E) Individual Qualifier
August 6: 4:00 AM(Digital), 7:00 AM(on E), 10:15 AM(on Boston 10 Ch 506) Individual Final

Other broadcasting notes:
-Peacock’s viewing experience for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 will introduce industry-first interactive features that help fans navigate more than 5,000 hours of live coverage throughout the Games, including all 329 medal events:
-Peacock Live Actions: a new interactive tool that lets fans choose their own viewing journey during live and primetime coverage, and follow the events they are most interested in watching.
-Peacock Discovery Multiview: With up to 40 live events happening simultaneously, Peacock Discovery Multiview will offer an industry-first, enhanced four-view experience that helps users navigate to the most important events, with real-time on-screen descriptions from NBCU’s Olympic experts informing viewers about what is at stake, such as a medal event, an elimination risk or a first-time Olympian.
--As previously announced, NBCUniversal and Roku revealed the NBC Olympic Zone on Roku, a new destination on the Roku Home Screen Menu to help users easily access and explore Peacock’s comprehensive coverage of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 this summer.
-As a result of this strategic partnership, fans using Roku can quickly get to Olympics events on Peacock with subscription and watch more than 5,000 hours of live events and all NBC programming, browse through curated content rows of live and upcoming programming, discover events by sport type, click through event recaps, and so much more. The NBC Olympic Zone on Roku will also feature a dedicated replay row, clips, and highlight reels that will take users directly to Peacock’s immersive viewing experience.

https://links.usef.mkt7856.com/ctt?ms=MjQwNzMwOTkS1&kn=41&r=MTg4MjM2OTU2NzAxS0&b=0&j=Mjg2MTQ2OTUwOQS2&mt=1&rt=0

US Equestrian Competition Update: Heat Index US Equestrian Competition Update: Heat Index by US Equestrian Communications Department. | Jun 25, 2024, 9:10 AM As we enter the summer months, we must all remain aware of how the weather can affect us and our horses. US Equestrian has received questions from across the country on the rising tempera...

I agree to a point about the mental health issues. However, rider size should also compliment the horse (build), I,e, if the rider is portly, I would not put them on a narrow thoroughbred. I would however put them on a nice sized draft of some sort. Where body proportion compliments both the rider and the horse.

This would cause less stain on the animal as well as help the rider feel good about how they look when the se themself in the riding mirror. This way everyone wins!

‘We need to engage carefully’: concerns around rider weight discussions and young people highlighted

Read more via link below

Interesting read.

A recent study, conducted in Japan, compared various methods for cooling horses after exercise in hot and humid conditions. Thoroughbreds were exercised until their pulmonary artery temperature reached 108°F. The time until the pulmonary artery temperature returned to

Here is something fun and a good way to help stay motivated

https://www.facebook.com/share/LbonyzQwwTwBts2h/?mibextid=ox5AEW

Saddle Up Challenge What is the Saddle Up Challenge? This challenge is meant to help motivate you, stay focused, and stay accountable as you work towards your own equestrian goals and dreams! You will be able to...

Everyday, every lesson that a student puts their foot in the iron for a lesson, is a good day for everyone. Riding lessons are not for being perfect. They are for expanding knowledge, confidence, abilities, and for reaching goals. These goals are not limited to riding.

The skills learned through riding, confidence, focus, social interaction, mindfulness, are all skills we use in our daily lives. It takes courage to put that foot in the iron and expand one’s abilities and reach for growth.

I applaud each of my students for taking the steps to reach for their personal goals. Every day, every lesson you take, brings you one more step closer to reach your goals. Each lesson is an achievement.

Well done everyone!

https://madbarn.com/equine-heat-index/

Equine Heat Index Tool | Mad Barn Equine Heat Index Tool Check the real-time heat index for your location to monitor the risk of heat stress and safeguard your horse's health. Show Heat Index for Current Location OR Equine Heat Index Guidelines Little to No Risk < 80 Enjoy your ride! Your horse can keep its body cool

The heat can be just as dangerous to your horse as it is for you. This summer has started early. So please for the benefit of safety for your horse and yourself check the heat index by using the tool and guide provided below. A show, event, is not as important as the health of yourself and your horse.

Equine Heat Index Tool | Mad Barn Equine Heat Index Tool Check the real-time heat index for your location to monitor the risk of heat stress and safeguard your horse's health. Show Heat Index for Current Location OR Equine Heat Index Guidelines Little to No Risk < 80 Enjoy your ride! Your horse can keep its body cool

Not sure what the current heat index is in your actual location? Want to check to see if it’s safe for your horse for riding/driving before embarking on that adventure? You can use the following by Mad Barn. It’s very accurate:

Equine Heat Index Tool | Mad Barn Equine Heat Index Tool Check the real-time heat index for your location to monitor the risk of heat stress and safeguard your horse's health. Show Heat Index for Current Location OR Equine Heat Index Guidelines Little to No Risk < 80 Enjoy your ride! Your horse can keep its body cool

heat index reminder for your horse and riding.

https://equusmagazine.com/diseases/pigeon-fever-incidence-rise-25902?tum_source=EQUUSFB&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=Facebook&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR3UcBi4UZZiDzK-o6rCEddZOumo7JXyMSpgTGQEOM7fDhXU5bMnpe4PKHU_aem_Ad9DaOF7i5s_nk-s_kCGAv0vK87jHNY2xqSPI7RFwRIyx2MGPT9Qwm-SKYU20eudfHDrC7-C_I9EsN8HqSKl_zAl

Pigeon fever incidence on the rise Researchers believe climate change in contributing to an increase in cases of this bacterial infection. An infection caused by Corynebacterium pseudotuberculosis bacteria, pigeon fever is spread via stable flies, horn flies and houseflies. The most common clinical expression of the disease is absces...

From Dr. Deb Bennett:

You can sprain a horse's back (i.e., displace the
vertebral growth plates) a lot more easily than you can sprain those located in the limbs.

"Owners and trainers need to realize there's a definite, easy-to-remember schedule of fusion - and then make their decision as to when to ride the horse based on that rather than on the external appearance of the horse.
For there are some breeds of horse - the Quarter Horse is the premier among these - which have been bred in such a manner as to LOOK mature long before they actually ARE mature. This puts these horses in jeopardy from people who are either ignorant of the closure schedule, or more interested in their own schedule (for futurities or other competitions) than they are in the welfare of the animal.

The process of fusion goes from the bottom up. In other words, the
lower down toward the hoofs you look, the earlier the growth plates will have fused; and the higher up toward the animal's back you look, the later. The growth plate at the top of the coffin bone (the most distal bone of the limb) is fused at birth. What this means is that the coffin bones get no TALLER after birth (they get much larger around, though, by another mechanism). That's the first one. In order after that:

2. Short pastern - top & bottom between birth and 6 mos.
3. Long pastern - top & bottom between 6 mos. And 1 yr.
4. Cannon bone - top & bottom between 8 mos. And 1.5 yrs.
5. Small bones of knee - top & bottom on each, between 1.5 and 2.5 yrs.
6. Bottom of radius-ulna - between 2 and 2.5 yrs.
7. Weight-bearing portion of glenoid notch at top of radius - between 2.5 and 3 yrs.
8. Humerus - top & bottom, between 3 and 3.5 yrs.
9. Scapula - glenoid or bottom (weight-bearing) portion - between 3.5 and 4 yrs.
10. Hindlimb - lower portions same as forelimb
11. Hock - this joint is "late" for as low down as it is; growth plates on the tibial & fibular tarsals don't fuse until the animal is four (so
the hocks are a known "weak point" - even the 18th-century literature warns against driving young horses in plow or other deep or sticky footing, or jumping them up into a heavy load, for danger of spraining their hocks)
12. Tibia - top & bottom, between 2.5 and 3 yrs.
13. Femur - bottom, between 3 and 3.5 yrs.; neck, between 3.5 and 4 yrs.; major and 3rd trochanters, between 3 and 3.5 yrs.
14. Pelvis - growth plates on the points of hip, peak of croup (tubera sacrale), and points of buttock (tuber ischii), between 3 and 4 yrs.

and what do you think is last? The vertebral column, of course. A
normal horse has 32 vertebrae between the back of the skull and the root of the dock, and there are several growth plates on each one, the most important of which is the one capping the centrum.

These do not fuse until the horse is at least 5 1/2 years old (and this figure applies to a small-sized, scrubby, range-raised mare. The taller your horse and the longer its neck, the later full fusion will occur. And for a male - is this a surprise? -- You add six months. So, for example, a 17-hand TB or Saddlebred or WB gelding may not be fully mature until his 8th year - something that
owners of such individuals have often told me that they "suspected" ).

The lateness of vertebral "closure" is most significant for two
reasons.
One: in no limb are there 32 growth plates!
Two: The growth plates in the limbs are (more or less) oriented perpendicular to the stress of the load passing through them, while those of the vertebral chain are oriented parallel to weight placed upon the horse's back.

Bottom line: you can sprain a horse's back (i.e., displace the
vertebral growth plates) a lot more easily than you can sprain those located in the limbs.

And here's another little fact: within the chain of vertebrae, the
last to fully "close" are those at the base of the animal's neck
(that's why the long-necked individual may go past 6 yrs. to achieve
full maturity). So you also have to be careful - very careful - not to
yank the neck around on your young horse, or get him in any situation where he strains his neck."

Dr. Deb Bennett

Dr. Deb Bennett is a 1984 graduate of the University of Kansas, and until 1992 was on the staff of the Smithsonian Institution. Her degree is in Vertebrate Paleontology, which emphasizes the anatomy and biomechanics of fossil animals. Dr. Bennett is known as an authority on the classification, evolution, anatomy, and biomechanics of fossil and living horses. Her research interests also include the history of domestication and of individual horse breeds.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=862355269034161&id=100057790879978

Florida Horse Tests Positive for EEE One horse in Marion County, Florida, was recently confirmed positive for EEE and euthanized.

One of our client’s horse. We have been working with him for a while now. When we started he was aggressive, used his weight, ran off, wouldn’t lead, and worse.

He has come a very long way through reading him, understanding him, using patience and intelligence with him. Now he is a big baby. And enjoys his time being wowing.

If you have a difficult horse, we can help you/your horse.

file:///var/mobile/Library/SMS/Attachments/79/09/F76C7847-377F-426B-B524-A30746D100CB/video000000.3gp

https://www.facebook.com/share/kepBuD3cCm8WA2HS/?mibextid=ox5AEW

After seeing multiple videos posted by various breeders bragging about their 2 ½ year olds/recently turned 3 year olds and sharing videos of them cantering around in the arena, I have decided to once again circulate the below article.

First of all, breeders *should* have the knowledge to understand a horse’s fragile and slow maturing musculoskeletal system. Breeders should not condone their own horses let along anyone’s horses being cantered around under saddle at an incredibly young age. Period. This sets a terrible example and is quite honestly animal abuse. Just because a horse does not object does not mean it is right. And quite frankly, most of the videos posted show animals that are already in pain or developing pain…

As breeders, we should strive to produce healthy and sound animals. We should promote horsemanship that produces long term soundness. No, starting a horse later does not guarantee soundness. But it certainly helps.

I am a firm believer in scientifically backed approaches to horsemanship. You can’t argue with science that has been proven time and time again. Let’s dispel some stupid rumors:

1. There is no such thing as a (skeletally) slow maturing horse or one that is fast maturing. No horse is skeletally mature before the age of 6. And that is on the low estimate for age.

2. Growth plates are not just in the knee. Every bone behind the skull has a growth plate. Not every single one needs to be converted to bone before starting. There is a schedule of when bone fuses…this is the information needed to know when to start a horse. Not their outward appearance. It is a known fact that during growth, proprioceptive awareness can regress, greatly increasing the risk of injury.

3. Starting a horse is not the same thing as riding a horse. Starting a horse does not mean cantering it 3-4 days a week in an arena.

4. Injecting a horse that is in pain does not mean you fixed a problem. You masked it.

5. You can build correct muscle and teach a horse how to move their body from the ground. This creates a solid foundation to work from once your horse is ready to actually be backed. Teach a horse to use its body correctly before backing and you’ll save yourself a lot of vet bills down the line.

Hocks are “late” for maturity. The growth plates on the tibial and fibular tarsals do not fuse until a horse is 3-3 ½. Ever wonder why so many horses seem to have hocks issues?? Horses need to learn to carry themselves and their own weight well before adding a rider.

The growth plates that are LAST to close are at the base of the neck. This area is where we ask a horse to raise the base of their neck and come round. If under too much stress, the growth plates can fracture or be permanently damaged.

There are DOZENS of activities you can do with a young horse to build healthy muscular development. None of them involve a saddle or your weight on their back. Teaching a horse to carry themselves correctly BEFORE adding a rider is essential and cannot be done in a week. A 2 ½ year old horse is a baby. Mentally and physically. We see far too many injured performance horses at VERY young ages - broken down and/or sour from work. It’s wrong. Period. They need slow and steady work and need time to recover from even the slightest of injuries.

PLEASE, if you are considering when you should start your horse and what that work load should look like, please read the below. There are some wonderful things you can do with your young developing horse. Please don’t rush a year out of greed.

http://www.equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf

Excellent article on Cushings (PPID). When you read the short bit about PPID, scroll down and click on « Equus Extra ».

What we’ve learned about PPID From the latest testing protocols to proven management strategies, EQUUS Extra offers tips to help PPID horses live long, comfortable lives.

I couldn’t agree more. We spend a lot of time to undo what short cuts and force creates in horse training. https://www.facebook.com/share/khoB8zTyVgdWJ8vE/?mibextid=ox5AEW

David Beckham’s private chef opens what may be UK’s first ‘ride-through’ - Horse & Hound If you’re out hacking in the Cotswolds and feel the urge for a coffee and cake, look no further. A boutique farm shop in Guiting Power, Gloucestershire, has opened what may be the country’s first “ride-through”. Riders can stop off at The Cotswold Guy, call their orders in, and then collect ...

A good reminder from a good friend of mine. A principal an excellent instructor tries to teach, an excellent rider tried to accomplish:

"Contact doesn't only refer to the hands, reins, and bit, but to the whole rider. A rider must give the horse contact through his entire seat. This means that his legs must lay gently against the horse's body, his seat must be balanced and supple, and his arms and hands must follow the horse's movement quietly and evenly. This create a smooth cycle of movement as the horse takes the rider with him. Only this then creates contact." ~ Klaus Balkenhol