Tuesday, June 17th, 2008
Though the Thoroughbred horse has been a strong force in the sport horse industry for decades, their presence in the Hunter/Jumper ring has given way to the stylish Warmbloods over the past 10 years or so. Outside of Hunter/Jumpers, Thoroughbred horses are also seen less and less in Eventing and lower level Dressage as well (Thoroughbreds never had much of a stronghold on upper level Dressage).
The Thoroughbred horse has changed dramatically in the past 30 years. At one time, most off-the-track Thoroughbreds were guaranteed to make excellent performance horses, as long as their racing career wasn’t ended due to a major injury. Today, Thoroughbreds aren’t bred to withstand the long term effects of racing, let alone Jumping, Eventing, or Dressage. Modern Thoroughbreds are merely built to (hopefully) win a few races and then are considered disposable.
A Thoroughbred has more heart than any other horse breed.
The average, off-the-track Thoroughbred 20-30 years ago was around 16hh-17+hh average height, came with a refined head, long neck, high withers, short back, good hindquarters, lean body, deep chest, long legs, and ample bone for their size in addition to a very uphill build, a nice long stride at all gaits, and were generally, very athletic.
The average off-the-track Thoroughbred of today is smaller in height, 15hh-16.2hh, has a decent head, is often built downhill with a lean body, narrow chest, average to long back, and very small bone for the build. All in all, the average ex-race horse today is not built for performance of any kind, thus explaining their frequent breakdowns on the track.
Simply put, the Thoroughbred horse has been severely overbred. Thoroughbred breeding is a science, but not the kind of science seen in German Warmbloods. Thoroughbred breeders do not reference generations of successful crosses, nor do they breed with the overall picture and conformation of each individual horse in mind. Thoroughbred horse breeders use theories, from statistical analyses to superstitions and, well voodoo, to determine sire and mare combinations. The average Thoroughbred horse breeder is dreaming of breeding the next Kentucky Derby Winner, and it’s not just the possible financial reward of such a win, they seek the prestige of having their name attached to such a winning horse.
Because of the recent media revolving around Eight Belles tragic injury and subsequent euthanasia, there has been a sudden “interest” in the injury statistics in the Thoroughbred Racing Industry. A new report covering catastrophic horse racing injury research has been made public, but only loopholes and excuses are found in the many articles, research, and surveys available. Without EVERY horse race track reporting injuries and having those injuries tracked and recorded by unbiased participants, the macro statistics on horse racing injuries are questionable at best. The racehorse industry cannot be responsible for accurately reporting their own problems (*more on horse racing injury statistics).
More importantly than faulty injury statistics, the Thoroughbred breed itself needs a serious evaluation. With all the conformational faults contained on the average Thoroughbred racehorse, it’s no wonder they break down so easily. Even non-catastrophic injuries need to be examined.
If a horse breaks down due to soundness issues related to conformation, is it really a good idea to retire that horse to breed? No matter how many races a horse has won, or how lightning fast the horse is, if the horse has soundness issues by and large, and absolutely is not conformationally sound, why are these horses being bred? Bloodlines and heart don’t cut it, and they certainly are not improving the Thoroughbred breed.
Thoroughbreds often get a bad rap because of their temperament. Although Thoroughbreds are definitely sensitive and “hot”, they need a job, they need consistency, and generally, they need confidence. Once a Thoroughbred has an owner or trainer that can provide a clear path to expectations, a Thoroughbred is not only willing, but genuinely wants to please. A Thoroughbred has more heart than any other breed of horse. Tapping the Thoroughbred heart is the key to unlocking their sport horse potential.
The Thoroughbred’s heart can also be it’s downfall in that self preservation often takes a backseat to unquestionable effort (e.g. Eight Belles). Eight Belle’s jockey never asked the horse to run on broken legs, and whether the jockey knew it or not, Eight Belles’ heart wanted to win, and nothing was going to stop her.
Moreover, here is a list of today’s Thoroughbred strengths and weaknesses
Thoroughbred Horse Strong Points:
- Incredible Stamina
- Powerful Speed
- Great Agility
- Often “Pretty”
- Heart for their Job
- Temperament can be perfect for rider and the job at hand
Thoroughbred Horse Weak Points:
- Terrible Feet (small, thin soles and hoof walls)
- Orthopedic Problems (DOD Developmental Orthopedic Disease)
- Weak Legs (stress fractures, bone chips, etc.)
- Temperament too “high” for average horse owner
- Often has vices if off the track (weaving, cribbing)
- Often more susceptible to ulcers (especially if off the track)
- Hard Keepers
There are still, even today, nice looking Thoroughbreds that don’t have all the above problems, but they are getting harder and harder to find. On top of Thoroughbred breeding weaknesses, their look is now even inconsistent. Thoroughbreds have, by and large, lost their once tall, long legged, uphill, and noble stature. There used to be a time one could look at a horse and know if it was a Thoroughbred or not, but now, Quarter Horses look like Thoroughbreds sometimes, and often, Thoroughbreds just look like your average, generic horse.
Additionally, Thoroughbred horse breeders DO NOT take into account conformation, soundness, temperament, or anything else important to breeding sound, solid performance sport horses. The dosage index used in mathematical Thoroughbred horse breeding produces unsound, conformationally poor horses to say the least. Considering horse racing is one of the more physically demanding equestrian sports (for the horse), one would think producing sound, solid performance sport horses would be fundamentally prudent.
As with many aspects of the horse racing industry, their breeding practices alone incite much rage and head-scratching from sport horse equestrians, enthusiasts, and horse activists alike.
Simply put, the Thoroughbred horse has been severely overbred.
After acquiring a sound (or semi-sound) off-the-track Thoroughbred, re-starting an ex-race horse is a science unto itself. A proper “let down” period is necessary before an off-the-track TB can begin moving past his/her life on the track. There are many drugs and high protein feeds that all need to flush from their system so they can begin acting like horses. Turnout is something that many racehorses have never experienced. Since the majority of Thoroughbred owners acquired their TB’s off the track (or at least the TB was once on the track), a good un-training and re-training are, and were, essential to a Thoroughbred’s success in another career.
It’s unfortunate many people are not suited to handle and re-train ex-racehorses for sport horse disciplines. Seeing as the Thoroughbred temperament gets a semi-deserved bad rap, much of their demeanor and temperament is influenced by the environment in which they were raised. Many equestrians do not posses the personality needed to ride off-the-track Thoroughbreds and end up competing with the their “hot” temperament. Too many people have had bad experiences on Thoroughbreds that don’t have anything to do with the horse’s soundness. The Thoroughbred’s flightiness, spookiness, and nervous demeanor has made many a beginner and intermediate rider scared of the breed.
 |
Despite modern Thoroughbred breeding practice failures, the Thoroughbred horse will always be an important icon to the performance and sport horse industry. Without the Thoroughbred, many equestrians could not have afforded to buy their own horse. Ex-race horses tend to be economical, though their possible health problems might outweigh discounts received in the purchase price.
All in all, I used to be a hardcore Thoroughbred lover. Hooked by their “do anything” for you heart, my loyalty has faded by the mis-handling from their human creators. Sure, there may be a few solid, sound, and great performing Thoroughbred sport horses still remaining, but heart just isn’t enough anymore to overlook the breed’s faults, some of which (bad feet) have always been issues.
Looking back at the Thoroughbred from 20-30 years ago, and then again today, I can say I will probably never own another Thoroughbred.
It pains me to admit that.
And unfortunately for the Thoroughbred horse, the future of the breed is quite dim, to say the least.
Tags: equestrian, tb, thoroughbred, warmblood
Posted in horse breeds | 6 Comments »
Sunday, May 18th, 2008
Plain and simple, the sport horse world holds an unacceptable intolerance of Arabian horses. Hunter, Jumper, Dressage, and Event riders are so…dare I say…racist when it comes to this breed. Although Arab horses may not be the “model” for any of these disciplines, it doesn’t mean that Arabians can’t hack it, can’t be competitive, or only signify rider inadequateness.
Horse people seem to have a love or hate for the Arabian horse. A few people that fall in the middle, but for the most part, you either own an Arabian, or you hate Arabians. Personally, I have heard and seen valid arguments both ways. On the love side, Arabian Breed Shows certainly do bring out the crazies [cough: Swayze], but haters: Arabs can make great sport horse mounts.
For the most part, you either own an Arabian, or you hate Arabians.
That said, the Arabian horse definitely isn’t a first choice for any of the sport horse disciplines. The Arabian is small. With an average height between 14.2 and 15.1 hands, their size is considered undesirable in the Hunter, Jumper, Dressage, and Event horse world. Especially in the Hunter ring, Arabians do not have the competition “look”. At a big Hunter show, it would be an AMAZING feat for an Arabian to win any class, even if that Arabian had a PERFECT round. Hunter judges, most particularly, hate Arabian horses (but remember, Hunters Are Not a Sport).
Talking about the Arabian horse and their size does bring up an important point about today’s sport horses: bigger is better almost everywhere. So is thought…
However, when considering a rider’s ability, a 17+ hand Warmblood isn’t easy for a 5’3”, beginner or intermediate rider to pilot. Concerning collection alone, many riders within this experience bracket do not have the ability, experience, and muscle to handle the task of guiding a big, fast moving horse around a ring. Jumping a course of any size takes a lot more work, adjustment, maneuvering, and steading of a big Warmblood than a smaller horse (like an Arab). At any barn, anywhere in America, too many junior and amateur riders mount horses that are just too big and too powerful for their abilities. In this instance, an Arab would be a good choice for a rider to get the hang of collection, adjusting, and lateral movements.
Additionally, there are many misconceptions of the Arabian horse. Many people think because Arabs are light boned and small they cannot “hold up” to the rigors of jumping. Do not be fooled: Arabians are very tough and generally very sound. Just like every other horse breed, conformation signifies soundness problems way in advance. Moreover, conformation “defects” of a particular horse are simply a product of poor breeding, not, in the Arabian’s case, a poor breed.
Arabs, too, even the small ones, CAN jump big. No matter what you point them at, there is no doubt Arab horses would try. But without an average or long stride length, most Arab horses are going to lack enough scope to jump around a big course.
Fashion has a lot to do with the Arabian and it’s unpopularity within the sport horse world.
Another Arab misconception is their temperament is said to always lean towards spastic or hot. Certainly, Arab horses can be “spastic”, “spooky”, and “hot-blooded”, but I’ve met an equal amount of Arabians that were also quiet, calm, and very “dead broke”. As far as a comparison, the Arabian temperament is very similar to the Thoroughbred temperament. Arabians do seem to be more sensitive to their surroundings, and that also means their experiences. Unlike most “dumb-bloods”, Arabs generally can hold grudges against (bad) people and experiences (like cats).
If we generalize the good and bad points of Arabians, I would break it down like this.
Arabian Horse Strong Points:
- Great Feet
- Incredible Endurance
- Incredible Stamina
- Longevity
- Above Average Soundness
- Easy Keepers
Arabian Horse Weak Points:
- The Look of the Arabian has to be Appreciated
Now, if I specify good and bad Arabian traits concerning the sport horse world, my list would look more like this.
Sport Horse Arabian Horse Strong Points:
- They can be very good movers
- Great Feet
- Incredible Endurance
- Incredible Stamina
- Longevity
- Above Average Soundness
- Easy Keepers
- Size Can Be Beneficial for a Smaller Rider
- Temperament can be Great for a Beginner
- Price
Sport Horse Arabian Horse Weak Points:
- Size which can be Bad for a Long Legged Rider
- Temperament can be too much for a Beginner Rider
- Often Not Enough Scope to Handle the Bigger Courses
- The Arabian Look doesn’t Work in the Show Ring
- People Will Treat you Differently
So, to sum it up, fashion has a lot to do with the Arabian horse and it’s unpopularity within the sport horse world. There are some legitimate reasons to NOT ride an Arab, but there are also legitimate reasons TO ride an Arab.
Personally, I wouldn’t buy an Arabian horse. I like a big horse, I’ve got long legs, I am looking to hit big jumps, and I, honestly, don’t appreciate the Arabian look. But, there are some very, very, very great Anglo-Arabians (Arabian, Thoroughbred crosses) used in Warmblood bloodlines and winning high level Jumping, Dressage, and Eventing shows.
I used to own one.
And though I wouldn’t buy an Arab now, if someone does like Arabs, I would never look down on them. Unless someone wanted to jump 4′+, win in the Hunter ring, or their riding personality didn’t fit an Arab, I would never talk them out of buying an Arabian Horse.
Different strokes, really. None better, just better fitting.
And knowing that Arabs can be a great fit for sport horse riders, why not fully accept the Arab into the sport horse world? If a rider is enjoying the horse, and the horse is enjoying it’s job, we needn’t hold prejudice against the Arabian horse breed in sport horse riding or competition.
Sadly though, I’d surmise part of the “stigma” surrounding Arabians in a traditional Hunter/Jumper/Dressage/Eventing sense has to do with their overzealous legions I mentioned earlier. It’s a sad truth, but hard core Arab fanatics give the breed a really bad name outside of their fanatical world.
Although the Arabian will never be my choice for a horse, I thoroughly understand that some people are drawn to this breed, and for others, the Arab is a practical choice. Arab horses do have there good and bad qualities, and though they may not be the IDEAL sport horse, there are Arabians out there that can do the job, and do it well.
No matter what, if you see someone with an Arab, don’t scoff, and you don’t have to like the breed, just respect that someone else does. Though on average, sport horse competition Arab horses may not stack up on paper, there are, frankly, quite a few Arabs out there who can jump, pass, gallop, and leap their way past the fancy Warmbloods.
Tags: arabian, competions, equestrian, sport horse, warmblood
Posted in horse breeds | 21 Comments »
Sunday, May 11th, 2008
Hey dude, he's the stallion.
This is Chapter 2 of 4 concerning Sport Horse Breeding.
Click here for Sport Horse Breeding Chapter 1 - The Mare.
There are certainly more than a handful of quality stallions waiting for your phone call, but truth be told, most stallions are average, below average, or downright unworthy of passing on genes of any kind.
Some stallions are outstanding athletes; dressage and jumpers that stand out from all the rest. I am not going to name names, but most outstanding stallions, are imported. Sure, there are a few nice “homebred” stallions as well, but by and large, worthy stallion semen is only found in Europe (sorry).
Most stallions are average, below average, or downright unworthy of passing on genes of any kind.
Knowing there are some outstanding stallions to choose, regardless of discipline, my problem with sport-horse stallion breeding is the management of such stallions’ throws.
Without keeping great track of offspring, stallion owners already have their hands full. Owning a stallion is not a moneymaker, and sure, stallion owners need to make money off their investment. Stallions are hard to train, handle, and compete, but stallion owners are also faced with promotion, stallion approvals, breeding campaigns, and all the while - semen collection, and breeding demands. A performing stallion’s life (both in the ring and out of the ring) is tough on the stallion and tough on the stallion owner.
With that being said, maybe it’s just too hard to be picky and choosy about the which mares a stallion owners allows his “investment’s” semen to go out to. Keep in mind, however, knowledgeable stallion hunters always run into the problem of “proof”. I like to see what the stallion throws. What kind of performance horses has this stallion produced? If all I can see are some below average horses out of mares that should not have been bred to in the first place, how can I really tell how nice the stallion’s offspring are.
Some great stallions really “stamp” themselves on their offspring, and most, if not all offspring enjoy some grand quality. But all in all, most stallion owners have nothing to show in the proof “ring”.
If all I can see are some below average horses out of mares that should not have been bred to in the first place, how can I really tell how nice the stallion’s offspring are.
Then there is stallion marketing. Why are most stallion videos so horrible? I cannot see the point in sending out some of the videos I have seen. I mean, don’t get me wrong, if you are lucky enough to have a stallion that is known for producing outstanding jumpers, you don’t need a video. But, if you’re offering a stallion based on his amazing qualities, let’s have some of those qualities on the video. I appreciate conformation shots, but if I’m looking for a jumper, let’s see some jumping. If I’m looking for a dressage horse, let’s see some under saddle action. Not in a dark indoor that is so dusty you can barely tell what color the horse is; go outside (hint, wait for a nice day to film) or go somewhere else. Oh, and cut the atrocious “stallion-y” music set at an ear breaking level (money doesn’t buy taste, right?).
And Websites! Come on stallion owners, why not put the video online?! Online videos would save you money because at least 50% of the people calling are just window shopping, and of those, most have high speed internet. Then there’s a question of your website altogether…oh what’s that? You don’t have a website? Your stallion’s webpage hasn’t been updated since 2005? Is this an Olympic horse that needs no introduction? No? Okay then - next!
But most importantly for the stallion owner, if you have a nice stallion, why not find even nice mares and offer discount breeding? Please, stop breeding nice stallions to ANYTHING.
Additionally, lets not forget the thousands of stallions that should have been gelded as weanlings or yearlings. Why do people think that loving their mare + well know stallion semen = a colt deserving to be a stallion? You know what happens then? The stud fee on that new “warmblood” colt is going to be $800, inexperienced horse people are not going to know any better and breed to that stallion, producing even more pointless horses. Now, I’m not saying that every stallion with a $2000+ stud fee is an exceptional horse, and lets face it, not every exceptional stallion will always mix with every type of mare. But, if you do have a young horse and you think he is a dream horse please, please get a second opinion before skipping that gelding appointment.
Please, stop breeding nice stallions to ANYTHING.
Remember, even quality breeding farms geld most of their colts. Your colt better be phenomenal in every sense to whisk off gelding.
Listen, I realize there is a lot of work involved in owning a stallion. There are a few stallions in this country that, although well known and popular, are not even the best stallions for temperament and soundness reasons.
If you do have a nice mare, a mare that is worthy of breeding, make sure you do your homework in finding the right match for your mare. Do some research on bloodlines, get references of people who own offspring of the stallions, and see if you can find information on soundness and temperament from someone other than the stallion owner/manager. Obviously, it would be great to meet the stallion in person, and though it may be impossible at times, if you can meet him, you should. Horse breeding isn’t something to take lightly, and it costs a lot of money to breed, raise, and train a horse. Make sure the investment you are making is going to be everything it can.
And one last note, please, stallion owners, get rid of your cheesy magazine designs; you don’t have to fit EVERY picture on one page. One nice picture should be enough. If you’re lucky enough to have one of those exceptional, great stallions, show them off properly by displaying offspring (not in hand).
Great stallions need good mares, and the not-so-great stallions should be gelded.
**photo taken from Ween’s “The Stallion, Part 2″**
Tags: equestrian, stallion, warmblood
Posted in breeding | 1 Comment »
Thursday, May 8th, 2008
stall or pasture?
I date this entry because I found myself coming to this opinion late in 2007 and feel like I may have moved into the past a bit.
When I started riding (a long time ago), horses didn’t go outside…..EVER. Your horse lived in a stall 24/7 and in the barn they stayed; warm, dry, safe, and ready to ride. It was normal. I never questioned it. I was a little kid, and it seemed to make sense to me. I rode my pony 6 days a week, and when I rode my pony, I mean I RODE my pony for hours. You literally had to pull me off my pony. This posed a problem when he was “wild” and in such good shape you couldn’t wear him out with 10 straight hours of lunging if you wanted to. He was one fit pony. But, he didn’t see daylight unless I was riding outside; along with every other horse in the barn.
Maybe this was confined to the hunter/jumper world, but horses did NOT go outside. You could walk them outside to graze. There were pastures; they were really green and full of grass, mostly because the horses never went out in them.
Give the horses some time to stretch their legs….but not too much time for them to hurt themselves.
Then, shortly after I moved into a small junior horse, turnout became an option. I moved to a barn that had all day turn-out. Still not really understanding the thought behind horse turnout, I figured, “well that’s good”. Of course I wasn’t accustomed to scraping large amounts of mud before a ride, but it was nice to see the horses outside playing, grazing, or in some cases, running like maniacs. They must be doing what they want to be doing.
Then I moved yet to another barn that had many more “high level” show horses. They offered minimal turn-out. Most horses were turned outside from 1-2 hours a day, with split boots and bell boots. This seemed like a nice compromise. Give the horses some time to stretch their legs….but not too much time for them to hurt themselves. A few people, some with VERY nice, expensive horses moved to another show barn that offered more turn-out. I, on the other hand, still thought “well, they get worked and none of the horses seem unhappy”. Now, there were a large amount of horses that wore cribbing collars (red flag) and even more that would weave in their stalls (another red flag). But, most of that I thought was because they were Thoroughbreds off the track, and they all have some nervous wacky habit from being in that atmosphere.
Once I started having a little more forethought and tried to learn more about horses’ behavior, physiology, and overall “natural” state, I realized horses should be outside as much as possible. By all means, bring them into a stall at night or if the weather is bad, but let them be horses. They should be in a herd during the day, relaxing, living as they would in the wild.
Then I had a mare, a mare who REALLY liked other horses. She liked other horses so much that if she was on a fence line with the same horse two days in a row, you couldn’t ride her because she would panic without being able to see the other horse. Now, throw her in a herd, and you can only imagine the monster she would turn into.
At this point, I wanted to give this mare the ability to be a horse. But, I was spending a lot of money so I could ride and show her. This now made it so I was spending a lot of money for her to have friends and I was only able to ride when all the other horses were in the barn and never at a horse shows.
That, didn’t make sense to me. Luckily, the barn(s) we cycled through over the years ended up having rotating turnout for a few hours a day. She didn’t get attached, and was still able to get out a little bit every day (weather permitting).
As a limited turnout routine became commonplace for my mare, more and more “research” came out about the benefits of turnout for the horse’s brain and body. More turnout meant sounder minds and bodies. This too, made sense. Of course, not only does a horse’s digestive system work better because they are moving as they “graze”, but horses are more sound because their joints are moving frequently so they don’t go from standing in their stall, to working, then back to standing in their stall.
I have always, and will always, think horses without jobs (or high level jobs), young horses, horses with special needs, arthritic horses, or horses that are downright bonkers NEED turnout of some sort. But, is all day turnout, every day turnout, the answer for EVERY horse?
I think not only is that an important question for your pocketbook, but an important question for your horse’s overall wellbeing.
I have aspirations for “us”. I also love this horse to death, so I want him to be happy and healthy.
Not EVERY horse actually WANTS to be outside all day. There are many horses that have higher anxiety when outside all day. Maybe the anxiety is from being used to a stall, or even being used to the barn. But, how do you gauge your horse’s happiness?
Every horse is unique, every turnout situation is unique, and it’s important to remember your goals for you and your horse and the pros and cons of turnout in relation to those goals.
Right now, I have an 11 year old Holsteiner gelding, upper level jumper, and he is at the peak of his performance. With this in mind, I will let you know his turnout history so you understand what he is accustomed to in his life.
From birth-1yr ,he was outside all day and brought in at night. From 1-2yrs, he was outside 24/7 (weather permitting) with other horses of all ages. This was in the Midwest, so if it was really cold or thunderstormy, he came in at night. From 3-4yrs, he lived outside 24/7 in all weather (with shelter of course) with no friends. From 5-8yrs, he lived in a run w/shelter and daily turnout with one other horse (he isn’t always that friendly), weather permitting. From 8-10, he lived in a stall with daily turnout. He didn’t like to be outside all that much and would run the fence line to come inside (not every day and for no apparent reason (bugs, weather, feeding, other horses).
So, during the last year he has had some “soundness” issues. He has not been LAME, just off. X-rays all clean, most likely narrowed it down to soft tissue. Stall rest was his prescription. 4 months total. He was walked every day, and generally he seemed very happy in his stall. I got him toys he enjoyed very much. He had a few outbursts of bucking in his stall, but for the most part…he was alert, happy, maybe a little bored, but no more than when he was outside.
Unknown as to how he injured himself, I question turnout for him at all now that he will be coming back into work. I have aspirations for “us”. I also love this horse to death, so I want him to be happy and healthy.
Our need for soundness and his need for “normal” horse behavior poses a conflict of interest…or does it? He likes his job; I would say he loves his job. He has always loved to jump. Flatwork, he could do without, but he loves jumping. He REALLY likes people, he likes interaction with people, he acts like he is a people sometimes. He doesn’t have any bad habits such as cribbing, weaving, chewing. He doesn’t have any health problems that could pose a problem to not going outside (COPD, colic, ulcers, arthritis, tying up). He always seems content in his stall, especially when he is in a work program.
So, I have decided that I am going to keep him from turnout. This means I will probably try to hand-graze him as much as possible and get him out 6 days a week. But, I don’t think in any way I am being cruel. Additionally, I’ve always worried about his focus when consistently turned out, and especially with a friend. He doesn’t scream for his friend, he doesn’t act agitated that he is away from his buddy, but I do notice that he is a little more “nonchalant” about work.
This being said, I think turning horses out is good, but keeping a horse in a stall isn’t bad. It depends on the circumstances of the horse and owner. No, a horse should not remain cooped up in a stall 24/7 with no chance of seeing sunlight. But, a horse that gets consistent work, is showing, could get injured, or could become unable to focus on “work”, maybe should be considered limited to no turnout.
That’s just my opinion of horse turnout in 2008. Maybe that will change. We will see….
Tags: horse, injury, mare, turnout, warmblood
Posted in horse care | 2 Comments »
Friday, April 25th, 2008
crazy horse people are way crazier than normal crazy people
You know you have seen them. You have dealt with them. And you have always pitied the poor horse owned by them.
The vet is out at the barn again, for the same grey mare that always looks healthy and happy, but is ailing from some serious condition. You wonder why the vet doesn’t just tell the person to get a second opinion. Yet, you realize you have actually seen more than one vet looking at the horse.
There is always a sob story: “She just isn’t feeling good, I think its allergies.” The allergy drop is always a good one for the hypochondriac horse owner because no one can REALLY dispute it. That is, besides the vet, but no one knows what the vet actually told this person. The worst part is, this person REALLY needs you to feel her pain, or her poor horse’s pain. The sympathy tends to feed the hypochondriac horse owner. It’s the attention they get.
The allergy drop is always a good one for the hypochondriac horse owner because no one can REALLY dispute it.
Hypochondriac Horse Owners are like predators and wait to pounce until another boarder arrives. They have been waiting for an hour for another person to show up at the barn. They get all tacked up with you and get on shortly before you.
You enter the ring and it starts:
“She doesn’t feel right today. I think it’s her back, maybe her hip. I don’t think she is lame, but she doesn’t have the usual energy at the walk.”
Even though you just want to ride, you feel bad for her because you know what its like not to be able to. She asks you to watch the horse go. You do, and you don’t see anything wrong. You tell her this and it seems to amplify her concern….somehow. Because if you don’t see it and she feels it, “it must be a very deep tissue injury”.
A week later, you ask her about the “deep tissue injury” and she almost blows it off, but now there is some “dermatitis” that has made her horse unable to ride. You think to yourself, “What? Dermatitis?” The vet pulls in again. The vet barely looks at the horse and is writing something down, hands it to the person and drives off. “Yes! She needs to bathe her twice a day for a week.”
Now you get to hear that looooong drawn out story. You don’t even care anymore.
Hint: Don’t care and don’t feel bad not caring. If you ignore her and if everyone else does the same thing….suddenly….the horse will actually have fewer ailments. If this person does not get rewarded they will act out less. Although, there are the ones who are gratified by the attention of the vet; whom they are paying.
You think to yourself, “What? Dermatitis?” The vet pulls in again…
If you are a hypochondriac horse owner, ask yourself these two questions:
1.) Are you afraid of your horse and just coming up with excuses to not ride?
2.) Do you need to feel important at the barn, and is this your only way to spark up conversation?
If this is you, THE HYPOCHONDRIAC HORSE OWNER, please do everyone else a favor (including your horse) and:
A. OPENLY ADMIT you are scared of your horse
B. SHUT UP and stop bothering other people at the barn
C. Seek professional psychiatry if the problem persists, and
D. Write your vet a big fat check with an apology letter.
Your horse is fine; now go away.
Tags: annoying, equestrian, equine, horse, hypochondriac, warmblood
Posted in horse people | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, April 22nd, 2008
love isn't a good enough reason to breed your mare
* * editors note: this is the first in a series of four articles aimed sport horse breeding * *
People love to breed things. I don’t understand the mentality, but this goes for dogs, cats, horses, and the obvious….people. Just because a living thing has a reproductive system doesn’t mean said living thing should be reproducing.
“I love my mare”. That, along with many other statements, does not qualify your mare to reproduce. I realize breeding seems tempting with the availability of quality stallions, but just because you have a mare doesn’t mean that you should breed her. Most mares are not that nice, and most nice mares need to be bred carefully.
Example #1: A woman owns a mare, she’s a cute mare. Let’s say the mare had done some hunters in the past, the big shows, let’s even say the mare did pretty good in the adult amateur ring. Now, the mare is doing dressage. Let’s say the mare is doing okay at 2nd level, but the mare is definitely not going to be progressing any further than 2nd level. The woman has seen all these fancy Grand Prix dressage stallions in the magazines. She loves her mare. Her mare is a 15.2 hand TB mare, 12 years old, chestnut, small frame, cow hocked with very small hocks, has Navicular but is sound with corrective shoeing (hence the inability to jump anymore), very small, shallow feet with no heal. Cute head, downhill, pretty straight shoulder even though she moves better than she is built to; pretty flat gaits, short neck, and long back (not extreme). But, she is a sweet mare, not mare-ish, very nice temperament, not “hot”.
This woman wants a Grand Prix horse. She rides at a pretty nice dressage barn. Most of the other boarders have Warmbloods. There are a few exceptional Thoroughbreds that are doing some of the upper level stuff, but this woman is definitely one of only a few to own a horse that isn’t going to go much further than 2nd level (we aren’t talking about rider ability at this point). Finances don’t allow this woman to buy a “going” Warmblood with upper level potential, nor is she able to fork out 10-20k for a young horse. So, she figures “I’ll breed to one of those REALLY fancy Warmbloods in the magazines that are doing Grand Prix dressage and I’ll have my next star!
Most mares are not that nice, and most nice mares need to be bred carefully.
Let’s examine this scenario. First let’s start with this woman’s “experience” in breeding. None, she has none. Her trainer knows of two younger “up and coming” stallions that aren’t approved yet, but are “gorgeous”. Her trainer also, has no experience breeding. So, the woman starts calling stallion owners. I’m not going to cut on stallion owners (at least not in this segment), but the woman hears nothing but rave reviews about each of these stallions. She picks one, a 17 hand Hanoverian, big boned, fluid movement with lots of impulsion, rhythmic gaits, has a large head though it fits him, long neck, average back, sloping shoulder, uphill build, straight legs, big feet (all from pictures and from inspection results), but all in all a very nice looking horse.
What is she going to get out of this breeding? A Grand Prix dressage horse (chances are much less than 1%)? Is she going to get the equivalent of her mare? Now that is much more realistic. But, with the conformation of the two, there is a much better chance that she is going to get much less than she had in her mare. There is a chance of course, slim, but a chance that she could get a tad nicer than her mare. But, with the clash of conformation, build, & movement, the chances are she is going to get a 16h horse with a long neck, long back, big head, big body, small frame legs, terrible feet, that doesn’t have much for athleticism. Of course, this horse has a good chance of being sweet (though we didn’t discuss the stallion’s temperament), but is this woman going to be happy with something less than her mare? If so…..great. But with the money this woman spent breeding her mare, raising the foal, and paying for training, she has probably already spent 15-40k when it is ready to be ridden.
Is she going to get the equivalent of her mare? [Not with the] conformation combo; she’ll probably get much less than she had in her mare.
Example #2: A jumper mare maxes out at about 3’6”. This mare is pretty fast and has done pretty good in the AA jumpers with several owners. She has never been able to get a lead change and has had many lameness problems. This mare also is a bitch. She HAS to be on Regumate. The only reason she has done well in the AA jumpers is because it took her 10 years to get there. She is 16 years old now. She has only been doing the AA jumpers for about 4 years. Before that she went from owner to owner because she is such a pain to train, ride, and generally deal with. She is spooky, she is hot, she is nervous, she is herd bound, she has a nasty buck AND rear. But, now she is a little better. I mean, she doesn’t like to be brushed, or tacked up. She pins her ears, swishes her tail, and often gives you the warning hind leg in the air when you have done anything more than she can tolerate. You cannot use spurs, but a crop is okay. She has never been “abused”, she is just that mare….the one that is just a bitch!
But, it might be retirement time. The woman who owns her is moving up in the jumper ring and she can’t part with the mare. She has bought a nice warmblood gelding that she is hoping to show in the A/O jumpers in the next year or two. So the mare, an appendix quarter horse, 16.2 hands, with great conformation throughout the body; nice shoulder, nice croup, nice back and neck, nice head, great topline, kind of falls apart in the legs. Not terribly, but she has sickle hocks, toes in, has terrible “tube” quarter horse feet (surprisingly no Navicluar detected YET), long cannon bones, short, and very short pasterns (astonishing that she can jump 3’6”).
The woman decides to breed the mare to a stallion that was shown in Grand Prix jumpers. She wants the mare to have something to do in retirement and she would either like another horse once her Warmblood gelding has to retire, or she will sell the foal. Either way it will be a great horse…right?
No, of course not. Why would you breed this mare? This mare has a terrible temperament, which WILL get passed on at least a little bit to the foal, and the conformation ALONE is not okay to breed. Worse case scenario, you get a horse that is WORSE than the mare! Best case scenario, you get a horse that is equal to your mare! You cannot improve on BAD faults. Sure, every horse has its conformation and temperament “imperfections”, but if there are blatant FAULTS, NO! Don’t breed!
Through equine reproduction, you cannot improve on BAD faults.
Example #3 (this is my all time favorite and probably the most common): Mare, lame, career ending (but not from an accident); Navicular, Ringbone, Sidebone, OCD, Torn Suspensory (over at the knee being the cause), Bowed Tendon (poor lower leg conformation causing the weakness).
Of course, this mare was not proven in sport in any way. She were started and then had lameness issues because of poor conformation. This is the exact reason NOT to breed, but the most common reason for a person to breed. “Well, she’s retired and only 8 years old, I can get 7 foals out of her.” NO!!!!!!!
Basically, what it boils down to is that a mare isn’t for breeding unless #1 she has proven herself in sport (upper level, dressage or jumpers) or #2 she has an outstanding temperament with equally outstanding conformation. Of course, conformation alone doesn’t qualify an upper level performance horse, nor does temperament, but it’s a good start. Also, not every rider is riding at upper levels, and there is a huge market for the middle of the performance scale, along with the lower end of the performance scale. But, you still want to be producing a physically sound horse that is also mentally sound.
Lameness is the exact reason NOT to breed, but also the most common reason given for breeding.
There are plenty of horses that qualify for the lower level without the need for you to breed to this level. There are also enough horses that performed at the upper levels and are done with that caliber of performance due to age, wear and tear, and rider ability to be passed on to the middle levels. You should not try to breed a lower level horse, or even a mid level horse.
And hey, two high level performance horses (mare and stallion) don’t always add up to offspring that perform, win, and hold-up at the upper levels, but you definitely have a much better chance.
Of course, there are always the horses that beat the odds; terrible conformation, terrible temperament, but manage to overcome those obstacles and win in the Grand Prix ring. But, odds are against those horses. And don’t forget, a horse still need heart, good training, and good riding. But guaranteed, starting off breeding with sound, sane horses and proven athletic abilities is a step in the right direction towards breeding quality offspring.
Let’s try to keep breeding to a minimum. Let’s breed quality, not quantity. Let’s REALLY figure out the costs involved with breeding and buying. If you own a mare, have someone who is knowledgeable, honest (brutally), experienced, and unbiased take a look at your mare and give you their opinion.
I would suggest taking your mare to a breed inspection, but I am unsure how strict they are these days. Anymore, American Warmblood, ISR, and a handful of other “registries” allow anything in their “books”. An evaluation from one of the TRUE, Warmblood breed associations would be a better start; though I have not been to a breed inspection in years.
Tags: breeding, equestrian, equine, horse, mare, reprooduction, sport horse, thoroughbred, warmblood
Posted in breeding | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, April 16th, 2008
Dressage queens look for any excuse not to ride
Now, there are a lot of snobs out there. The hunter/jumper world is full of these snobs; people who wear a horse more than ride a horse; it’s the image, the status, the gobs of money everyone knows you have (or at least spend) on one of your bigger accessories, the horse.
Dressage Queens definitely stand alone in their ability to be not only the most obnoxious of all “horse” people, but also the most annoying, egotistical, and often inadequate said “horse” people I have ever dealt with.
My definition of a dressage queen: A woman who owns a horse, usually a nice horse, that is too much horse for her, she has every accessory known to riding, and has every excuse, besides her inability to ride, for why her horse is not going well.
How to determine if your barn has a dressage queen:
When you show up to a barn and there is a loud voice, this is your first clue that you might be approaching a dressage queen. Once you get closer to that loud voice, look for manicured nails, the second sign of a dressage queen. Don’t listen to what the voice is saying, you might get sucked into an hour long conversation you never intended on being a part of, the third sign of a dressage queen. Look for the tack trunk the loud voice is going to, if it is filled with every color pad, matching polo wraps, at least 10 different brow bands, or basically a well stocked tack shop, that is your fourth sign of a dressage queen.
Excuses and drama are a fifth and final guaranteed sign of a dressage queen.
Next, see if she rides; you will find that if she does mount her horse, it won’t be long before she’ll screech with terror about her horse’s terrible “problem” usually associated with not moving off her seat, her leg, not being round, not coming through from behind - none of which is rider error (of course), always a problem with a) the footing b) the farrier c) the vet d) the trainer e) the turnout. Excuses and drama are a fifth and final guaranteed sign of a dressage queen.
There is no way to deal with a dressage queen. You cannot claim to speak Spanish; she knows Spanish so she can scream at the help. German won’t work either; she may have even learned so she can schmooze with the German dressage clinicians. Pretending to suddenly become deaf will not shut her up; she doesn’t actually need anyone to be listening for a reason to talk. Sympathizing with the dressage queen will only make her worse and she will end up misconstruing anything you say and spread some gossip about you throughout the entire area horse world. You can’t complain about her, even though most everyone else hates her, she probably pays more than anyone else in the barn, so she’s not getting kicked out. You basically either have to shut up and keep focused on what you are at the barn to do, or you need to find a different barn.
Don’t be afraid to leave your barn. If a dressage queen has infected your barn, know there is a barn free of evil (you might have to look VERY hard). There is no other escape but to leave. You and your horse will be better off.
Tags: dressage, equestrian, equine, horse, warmblood
Posted in horse people | 9 Comments »
