Equine Management and Training

Looking forward to the New Year

Goodness where have the past few months gone; the time has just flown by! So much has been happening and so much to look forward to for 2012 which kicks off for us with meetings with two of our sponsors to discuss our activities for the year and returning horses for progress assessments. Reservations are already in for the next few months which not only see new horses but the return of 2 youngsters we worked with earlier this year and a super little ex-racehorse, Hero Worship, we worked with a couple of years ago; it will be interesting to see what he has to say for himself this time around – he was certainly a bundle of fun last time!

The high winds of the past couple of weeks have interrupted our training programmes somewhat as young horses just cannot be expected to concentrate let alone keep their feet on the ground with the wind whistling around them with the ferocity experienced here. Fortunately nothing is spoiling so we can soon get back into a proper routine again once the interruptions otherwise known as Christmas and New Year are out of the way!

The little thoroughbred confirmed as having Cushings back in the summer is thriving. He dropped a little weight so we adjusted his diet and introduced Alfa-A Molasses Free and he soon packed the weight back on. To look at him, no-one would ever know there is anything wrong with him as the Prascend is working really well alongside his diet and management – he is as lively and bouncy as ever and generally full of the joys of Spring.

Rocky, “the monster horse” had weeks of ground work invested in him to soften and lengthen muscles which had become stiff and shortened through several years of an incorrect way of going. Once back under saddle he became a joy to ride as he found his work so much easier. The next task was to teach his owner to ride his “new-found” horse which was now engaging his hindquarters to such an extent that it took him a while to get to grips with the trot. However throughout his stay with us we were concerned about Rocky’s breathing in that it could be quite noisy at times; this could partly be attributed to his anxious behaviour when learning something new, but nonetheless warranted investigation. We were also of the opinion that Rocky may have been restricted in his development due to such problem. Now back home his owner has just confirmed that Rocky is off to Newmarket Equine Hospital to decide the best treatment as he does indeed have a problem.

We continue to see gastric ulcers in so many ex-racehorses. It is incredible that so many people are still not aware that this is such a probability with all the publicity. However the problem probably really lies in the fact that both investigation and treatment are so expensive – well to date that is - we have recently become involved with a company which has a superb product for ulcer treatment at a very reasonable cost. It is still believed that ulcers are the preserve of the racing industry but horses from all walks of life are candidates, even the least likely of horses can be suffering in silence or show such subtle signs that they are not associated with ulcers. Thus we are actively doing all we can to raise awareness.

The Horse and Hound feature a few weeks ago about field accidents is so true and for us could not have been published at a worse time as we had just received the news that a delightful horse we had worked with for several months had to be euthanased after incurring a fracture. Of course no-one can watch over their horses 24/7 and they must be allowed their freedom but such accidents serve to illustrate how vulnerable life is and that we should cherish every moment with those we love. We do our best to limit risks by either turning horses out after exercise or giving them a 20 minute Equissage session so that muscles are less likely to be pulled; and of course we do not ever turn out client horses without protective boots or with another horse; our mini Shetland Thomas makes an ideal and invaluable field companion.

We have been working with a TB here for rehab following a hind leg injury courtesy of a disagreement with the fence; our job has been to get him taking weight and using the leg properly as well as correcting muscle atrophy. The horse is very eye catching and needs to be in the show ring so we are hoping that by the Spring further hair will cover the ever diminishing scar. We have spent weeks working him from the ground to build and strengthen his weakened muscles and correct his compensatory way of going. The injury also caused an older sacroiliac injury to flare up so we have had to work the horse through this also. Now back under saddle we are furthering his schooling much to the delight of his owner who finds she no long has a horse she considered lazy! We actually come across this a lot; the ex-racehorse is not lazy; it is just that he is not off the leg either through poor communication from the rider or because he still does not understand the aids. We have also been keen for the horse to gain more weight and this has successfully been achieved by addressing – yes – you guessed it – gastric ulcers and increasing the fibre in his diet; he is now fed Dengie Alfa-Beet and Alfa- A Molasse Free with some Healthy Hooves to improve horn growth. This is clearly working as the farrier had to trim hoof away on his last visit rather than wonder what to nail to!

It is also very pleasing when horses we have worked with are brought back for assessment so we can check that progress remains in the right direction – which of course means that their owners have been doing their homework (yes, we set homework!). Little Pepper, an ex-racehorse we worked with at the beginning of the year, came for a check a few weeks ago and we were delighted by the continued improvement in this horse by a very committed owner.

Pepper was not only in superb condition but his schooling work had come on so much so that we were able to show his owner, Janet, how to encourage Pepper to accept more contact of a contact and be more consistent in his outline. Back in February Pepper was virtually unrideable; the reins could hardly be touched without him hopping off the floor; nor would he accept the lower leg (due to myofascial adhesion and a rib injury). We established that Pepper had incurred a neck injury at some point which was still causing discomfort and restriction but with physio, coupled with suitable training exercises, the injury has healed well and Pepper is now such a happy bunny - no napping, head tilting, head tossing or rearing.

Grace, a striking looking TB mare we worked with during the summer – and established that the bitting issue was not so at all but actually very badly broken withers - is going superbly and she is being brought over next week for a progress check. The mare has so much to offer now so will be interesting to plan the next phase of her training.

We have various horses out on loan around the country as, sadly, we can’t keep them all. An update has just been received from Derbyshire advising that our beloved home-bred Welsh Cob gelding and warmblood mare are thriving. It was very hard to make the decision to loan out but they were not getting the attention they deserved so it was better that we found them a home where they remained together but also received plenty of tlc rather than just be a number in an ever-increasing herd! We also have numerous ex-racehorses loaned out around the country and it is always a joy to hear what they are up to. In September we took in two mares under the RoR Emergency Relief Fund; they are now restored to good health and go to their new homes in January.

Quite when we will get around to starting to write our next book goodness knows; it would be great to see the first one in print first but that is not too far off now.

Everyone have a lovely Christmas.

Best wishes – Fred and Rowena