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| View From the Bottom by Newsletter Editor, Val Eyres |
|
| Annual Show - Aug 15 | |
| Westfield ODE - Report | |
| Kitchenham Farm Drive - Report | |
| Beginners and Novice - Report | |
| Windsor Horse Show - Report | |
| Indoor Reports | |
| Mailbox | |
| BDS News | |
| Showing Etiquette by Carol Lamble |
|
| Marathon Notes | |
| Dressage | |
| TROT | |
| First Aid Box | |
| Veterinary Corner | |
| Medi-Armbands | |
| Top Tips for Novices | |
| Useful Information Archived Info. |
View From the Bottom - by Newsletter Editor, Val Eyres
After the long winter
it's nice to be back outside again. Your Committee are going to be busy this Summer.
Included in this newsletter are the forms for the Training Weekend, schedules for the Hooe
Inside/Out and the most important one, our Annual Show.
The Oaks Club is one of only a few to still hold a show, so please come
along and support us. There is no entry fee for spectators and Angie will be in situ in
the Oaks catering caravan, just think of those cakes.
On a different note, David and Amy Starnes are trying to raise some
money for the Macmillan Cancer Support Charity. They are holding an event at their house.
Tickets are available from the vets' surgery in Uckfield. Phone number is on the leaflet.
Do try and support them, take a picnic and bottle of wine and enjoy yourselves.
See you at Hooe
Ed
Annual Show on Sunday
15th August at Broad Farm, Hellingly - this year we are heeding requests from some members
to hold a class or two for heavy/working horses. I'm hoping to have a show class and an
obstacle type class. These are to be very relaxed and unpressured and will be ideal for
novice horses or those that are semi-retired but still like a day out! The show class is
not a qualifier for anything else and no appearance money will be offered BUT we just want
to open the show for other types of equines. You can either enter with your vehicle or
in-hand.
There will also be a country vehicle class (not a qualifier for Osborne finals) and Light
Trade Classes, two and four wheeled, (these are Osborne final qualifiers).
Show schedule available beginning of May
Contact Jan Curd: 01323 849615/07799331631 or jan.curd@yahoo.co.uk
Westfield ODE - May 23rd - Report
SANDHOLE FARM WESTFIELD
Given the lie of the land, Bob and Andy did an excellent job fitting the dressage arena
and obstacles in. Hilary's cones course situated on a very undulating piece of the field
proved to be extremely challenging. Anthea Shipley managing the only double clear.
Class 1 – Small Pony Short Course
Only Bella Freeman in this class. Dressage 54, 5 time penalties in the cones and a total
of 128.1
Class 2 – Novice Pony
Eight competitors in this class. Cala Reeves scoring her first victory, first dressage 51,
2 for the cones and overall score 107.0. Kevin Stephenson driving Widget was second
dressage 52 but dropped down to fifth place after the marathon 137.4. Lizzie Page third
dressage 61, 7 cones, hung on to her third place 125.8. Andy Knight with a good marathon
came up from fourth to finish second dressage 64, cones 3 and total 115.2.
Class 3 – Novice Horse
Tim Whimhurst scored his first victory dressage 58, cones 3 and a total score of 115.6.
Abi Fowden second dressage 71, cones 8 and total 178.4.
Class 4 – Open Pony
Geraldine Stephenson, being the only entry, led all the way, dressage 63, cones 13 and
total 141.5.
Class 5 – Open Horse
Three entries. Bob Cox winning all the way. Best dressage score 45, just the 1 cone down
for 3 penalties and the best total score of the day 88.6. Anthea Shipley second dressage
49, the onlydouble clear in the cones and total 97.6. Christine Buckland third dressage
68, 23.5 cones, a blip in obstacle 3 added 20 more penalties for a corrected error of
course and a final tally of 172.5.
Class 8 – Dressage and Cones Only
Cheryl Hurle being the only entry, she was the clear winner. Dressage 54 and cones just
the 4 time penalties.
Best Groom – Bella's husband Crispin, he had to run round the
marathon course, no mean feat on a vey hot day.
Yanto Shield – Geraldine Stephenson.
Chairman's Choice – Tim Whimhurst and Cala Reeves.
The Sharon Roughton Claret Jug went to Bob Cox.
Kitchenham Farm Drive - Report
It was raining but the
stewards stood/sat valiantly, pointing directions to park, checking harness and showing us
when and where to start.
It was a great morning, the rain only spattered, the hills were a bit
muddy but that is the adventure and to be free in 'them hills' – no roads!
So a big thank you Carol for organising the event; Martin, Andy, Jan
Curd, Jessie, Vanessa, Abby and Chris for setting the course and stewarding the morning;
and Angie in our caravan serving tea and cakes.
Looking forward to the next drive at Colbrans Farm.
All the best.
Susanne Willis
Beginners and Novice - Golden Cross Apr 24th - Report
What a difference a
month makes, it was shirt sleeves as the uniform of the day at Golden Cross, something
unheard of in the series of winter Indoor Driving. If you remember, it was the clash of
dates with the Carriage Fair that was the reason for the late date in the calendar.
However, it must have been a suitable date as we had twenty-six entries. Only the one
withdrawal, Lesley Baker's mum was ill and she had to say at home to look after her.
Beginners
An amazing class, seven total beginners, one at her second competition, and three juniors
included. The most promising entry for years. Junior Sarah Turner, driving Susanne
Willis's Rupert, wiped the board in all three phases: best dressage 30.0, best cones score
5 and the second best total score of the day 180.00. Kevin Stephenson, driving wife
Geraldine's Widget, second dressage 30.5, cones 17 and total 227.50. Junior Amy Chapman
third dressage 30.5, cones 15, a total of 232.50. Andy Hunisett's twisty cones course
proved a little testing for the youngest competitor, ten year old Isobelle Eyres, but she
still finished fourth and got the best Junior Award, dressage 32,0, cones 40 and total
252.00.
Novice Under 13.0 hh
Two of the smallest ponies tried their very hardest today. Bella Freeman and little Gwain
second dressage 26.5, 8 for the cones and first place 183.50. Just behind Liz Howe and
Good Golly Miss Molly, best dressage of the day 25.0, only the 1 for the cones and a final
tally of 185.00. Liz Baverstock, driving daughter Sarah's pony Kelly, third dressage 27.5,
cones 23 total 196.50. Brenda Longley despite being nearly blind still managed to drive
the fastest through obstacle one in this class. How good was that!
Novice 13.0 hh and Over
Margaret Grimes was on a mission to win today, best dressage in the class 28.0, only 3 for
the cones and the best overall score of the day 178.00. Lizzie Page second place, dressage
32.5, cones 21 and total 194.50 and Sandra Pochin dressage 32.5 only 1 for the cones and
total 199.50. Sandra also received the Chairman's Choice Rosette for the most improved
driver. Pru Wynne-Evans received the other Chairman's Choice Rosette.
Innovation
Just the four entries. Cheryl Hurle with old faithful Snowy. Snowy having been very ill
for the last eighteen months, it was felt that this would be an ideal re-strart for him.
He must have thought so too as he was the winner: best dressage 27.5, equal best cones 7
and final score 187.50. Janet Bettel-Higgins, trying out a new RDA pony for the first
time, came second dressage 31.0, cones 13 and total 232.00. Just 0.5 behind, Geraldine
Stephenson with her young pony third, dressage 31.5 cones 7 and total 232.50. Helen
Bridges fourth dressage 35.0, cones 23, total 263.00.
Windsor Horse Show - Report
You couldn't make it up
if you tried. It was time for my annual holiday with Hilary at Windsor Horse Show and it
all started peacefully enough. Loaded Tony's caravan up, hitched up, and we were soon on
our way. Got to the top of the lane, indicated left and … oh dear, no indicators
working on the caravan. Can't do anything about it so we just keep going and hope we don't
get stopped.
Get to the show without any problems, unhitched, made a cup of tea …. ah, this is the
life, caravan alongside the Thames in the Queen's back garden. What could be better. Then
my phone rings. "It's Andrea here (she brought Prince up to the Show for Jamie to
drive in the disabled driving classes, I was his companion). We have a slight problem
– I have left all your clotheses behind!" A little problem she says.
Don't panic was the answer. It was into Andrea's spare shirt I went, my lead Hanka Davey
is about the same size as me, so I stole her jacket, tie, hat, shoes and Andrea's spare
gloves. To hide my jeans, that was a bit of a problem, but somehow Katie's waterproof
apron appeared. Now she is about six sizes smaller than me but it is amazing what a piece
of plaiting thread can do for a girl. That's me sorted, now for Jamie. Jamie it seems has
left his trusty 'hold me in the carriage belt behind'. Never mind says ever resourceful
Andrea, out came Ronnie's hobbles and somehow they became a belt and suitably strapped in
off we went. All the effort was worthwhile as he went on to win both his classes.
Thursday evening we were off to see the Tattoo, great fun. Friday a very leisurely stroll
around the showground. Always a must see is the coaching class, a lovely class to watch.
Saturday it is work time. Hilary and I always steward together on an obstacle. This time
it was Obstacle 7. Picture this: an obstacle with 2 A's, 2 B's, 2 C's, 2 D's, 2 E's and 2
F's. All boxes and channels and the letters below the top rails. There was no way on earth
that we could see where the competitors were going. In the end Jill Holah came along and
parked a brand new Discovery alongside the fence, dropped the tailgate and the problem was
solved. With a grandstand view at least we could see the route they were taking. With only
37 competitors it was not a very long day and we were soon driving back up the M25,
caravan in tow and yes, still no indicators!
Thank you to all the people who ran the New Year's Day Drive at Golden Cross. Lovely weather, delicious soup and good company! What a good start to the year. Also, many thanks to John and Donna for letting me drive lovely Shadow, what a super horse. Prince is off sick at the moment but will be back
Helen Bridges
*****
I should like to invite the Oaks Driving Club to share a new forum for outdoor driving trials. I have been helping to administer the Indoor Driving Club forum for a while. People find it useful. They use it for sale and wanted, to find or offer to groom, for event and training times, or just to ask for advice, etc.
I have recently taken over the East Anglian Carriage Driving Group website and they wanted a forum too. It seems to me one outdoor club alone does not have enough traffic to make a forum as useful as it might be, but it does justify a separate site from the indoor one, so, with the agreement of the EACDG I have put the forum on an independent site so we can invite any clubs to use it, and so it need not be seen as one club's facility. We tend to overlap quite a bit in the outdoor events, so it makes extra sense to have it common. The idea is that any club can link to it so that, as far as their members are concerned, they can use it integral with their ordinary club website, though understood to be shared between clubs. I have already linked it to the EACDG site. You can see it at www.eacdg.co.uk and click on-line forum.
If you wish to see what it would look like to an Oaks member I have taken the liberty of making a mock to show what I mean - or that you can simply link to if you like - www.hdtforum.co.uk/index_oaks.html - you could simply put a menu entry/link on your main site leading to that address and, hey presto, you would have a forum/message board.
This is a hobby activity, not for profit. I work in IT and it is fairly straightforward for us and does note cost anything to speak of – although it takes a little work to maintain, which is another reason I think it is worth sharing.
You would be very welcome and I think it could be a service to our various members. What do you think?
Mike Watts
www.mikewatts.com
Telephone: 01473 735050
Fax: 0870 131 9476
Ivy Cottage, Boot Street, Great Bealings, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP13 6PB.
BDS News - Donna and Sue
NEW YEAR'S DAY DRIVEBDS 'FUN DAY EVENT'
21 AUGUST
AT STUCKLES FARM
Open to BDS members. The dressage test will be driven twice, best score counting, large,
wide, flowing cones course. One obstacle to be driven forwards then backwards. Then each
turnout will have to answer some easy questions, the whole day is to be stress free and
fun!
Lunch provided.
Limited to ten turnouts at £20 per turnout.
Please send s.a.e. for entry form to:
Helen Bridges, Stuckles Farm, Lewes Road, Chiddingly, East Sussex BN8 6JG.
TBC
Mini ODE Chiddingly (1st ten
tournouts) Helen
September
12 Pub Drive Peasmarsh Road and off
road drive Donna
October
31 Halloween Pub Framfield
Road drive Sue
Drive
November
TBC AGM + Meal (Any Suggestions?)
Sue
Contact Numbers:
Helen 01825 872030
Donna 01797 230295
Sue 01825 890264
Showing Etiquette - Top Tips by Carol Lamble
OneSeven
Some people like to go into the ring first, whichever way you go leave at least two
carriage lengths between you and the next competitor. This applies all the time you are in
the ring. If you find you are getting too close look behind, a job for your groom, signal
you are making a manoeuvre and find a space. Do this quietly and without fuss. Watch the
steward, who will pass on information from the judge, i.e. change the rein or walk. Soon
you will be called in to line up. Again, leave a space between you and the next
competitor. This line up is usually just to clear the ring, making space for your
individual show. You will be told what to do, do not make a meal of it. The judge will
give you a good inspection and ask some questions. Your groom can get on the carriage for
the individual show, or not, as you prefer.
Eight
Now comes the question that started all this, may you leave the ring at any time? Yes, but
you should always do so with the permission of the judge. See the steward first, who will
make a note of your name and number, then will ask the judge, giving the reason you need
to leave, driver not well, pony not going according to plan, groom not happy, feeling
unsafe. If it's to get to another class because you didn't study the schedule he may say
no, especially if you are going well and he needs you in the final line up. Otherwise,
leave the ring at a walk, waiting for a gap to come.
Nine
Hurrah, you have won a
rosette. Ladies shake hands and smile, gents shake hands and remove hat. If you are
wearing a crash hat undo it before the judge gets to you so that you can raise your hat.
Rosettes should be worn by the horse. Some don't like them so put them on the carriage. If
it's a Whips Class then you may wear them.
Ten
End of your wonderful day. Do pony first. If he slobbers all over your clean clothes then they have to be cleaned. He's done all the work. Have a cup or glass of something and load for home. Go carefully, don't spoil a happy day. Well done.
Marathon Notes - by Martin Holgate
HDT - SOME
MARATHON NOTES
• Make sure you and your groom have thoroughly learnt the
obstacles BEFORE you head off from your box or stable.
• Make sure your vehicle's axle is set for marathon width if you
have extended it for dressage and cones.
• You have your number bib.
• You have worked out your times for each section and have a note
of the number of compulsory flags.
• You have your stop watch.
• You have your spares.
• Have a wee!
• I always ask my groom as one of their jobs to remember to say
thank you to the stewards as we leave each obstacle.
AT THE START
• Arrive 10 minutes before your start time (remember the start may be
some distance away and you will need to make an allowance to get there as well).
• Make yourself known to the starter or his steward.
• You will be given a Green Card on which your start and finish times for
each section will be noted. Check it - people make mistakes. You carry this card
with you and hand it in at the end of each section.
(At national events you will have a duplicate card for you to keep).
• A judge will inspect your turnout for safety.
• Listen to the starter. He will tell when you have about 4 minutes to go
when the previous competitor has left.
• He will then give you a 2 minute warning a 1 minute warning and count
you down during the last 10 seconds.
• If you don't want to be counted down and just want to be told to go
just ask.
• If you are not ready to start at the appointed time because you are
busy chatting, for example, you will be started at the allocated time and if you are say
45 seconds late you have 45 seconds less in which to
complete the course!
• On the word GO from the starter start your stop watch.
ON THE COURSE
Enjoy the course but remember the TD's briefing for particular hazards or ground
conditions and do concentrate on:
• Directional arrows so that you go the right way.
• Compulsory flags: Have you missed any ? They are all numbered and
stewards around the course will be checking to make sure you go through them. If
you don't and you are spotted you will be eliminated.
• The time: The course will be marked every kilometer and you or your
groom should be aware if you are ahead or behind schedule. Only for today we have
put in a 500m marker and the course is 1.5K. At pony
speed a kilometer takes just over 4 minutes
Finally, remember within the last 500m of the course you can only walk or trot not canter
and you cannot weave to waste time so you need to know how you are doing for time. In
order not to incur time penalties you need to finish within a (normally) two minute
window.
Dressage - The Cheats Guide to Improve Your Score!
Rule Number OneFirst impressions count.
If you enter the arena at A with your hat on the back of your head, hair in a mess, sitting as though you are on the loo, brightly coloured socks showing below your trousers and then wobble your way down the centre line, the judge is going to think, "Oh no, not another one!" You can guarantee that you will get a 4.
We cannot all be slim and elegant but we can make the best of what we have. So, ladies, your hair should be neatly in a hairnet; chaps, your hair needs to be neatly trimmed and not too long. Hats should always be on the forehead, just above the eyes. Ties straight, dress code to match the carriage, i.e. a varnished vehicle equals country clothes and a painted vehicle smarter, co-ordinated clothes. Next, you need to look at your seating position on the box seat. Ideally, your legs should be straight, knees together, with your feet well forward. To do this you may just have to put another cushion on your seat to raise it up. If you are the correct height your reins will not touch your horse's bottom. Next, you must sit up straight, shoulders back, chest forward, make yourself tall and elegant and don't forget to smile.
Now, when you enter the arena, the judge will look up and think, "They know what they are doing," and it could well be an 8.
Rule Number Two
Accuracy.
Enter the arena at A and proceed down the centre line and halt at X means exactly that. Wander off line and miss X and it will be another 4. Making sure you drive in a straight line and halt with your horse's/pony's nose on X and it will be at least another 8. It does not matter how well your animal moves if your 20 metre circle is 15 metres, or not round. You are throwing marks away all the time. Also try to ensure that your horse/pony goes on the correct bend, i.e. it is looking where it is going. It does help if you can walk the dressage arena on foot. You can then see exactly where you need to be for each movement. Also, most arenas are not level so you will need to take this into account as well.
Rule Number Three
A large port and brandy for the driver is recommended! A tense driver will produce a tense horse/pony and thus a tense test – more marks lost. Try to relax. After all, a dressage test is just a series of movements.
Hook Farm, West Hoathly route now opened for carriage drivers as well as riders.
*******
The Waldron/Blackboys driving route is now open for the summer. This extensive route linked by quiet lanes and a horse friendly pub now has the addition of a route in Framfield, round Bird-in-Eye Farm set up by Sue Page.
For £35 for the 6 summer months you can drive not only this route but any other of the TROT driving routes, including the newly acquired Friston Forest-3000 acres of mixed woodland. Membership and day passes (£5) available from Alison Burgess.
Telephone 01435 813267 or email aliburgess@carriagedog.org
STRANGLES
Strangles is a bacterial infection caused by a bug called Streptococcus Equi. The closest
equivalent in humans would be glandular fever. Strangles is a highly infectious disease
and almost 100% of horses that come into contact with it will go on to develop signs. The
disease is spread by either direct contact between an infected and a non infected horse or
by people spreading it on their clothes, footwear, grooming equipment or feed and water
buckets.
The bug attacks the nose and respiratory system first. Initially, horses will run a very
high temperature and will usually be depressed and off their food. Some horses may not
progress beyond these signs, especially if they have been exposed to strangles before, but
they are still capable of spreading the infection to other horses.
Most horses will develop a pussy discharge from the nose. The bug may then attack the
lymph nodes (the glands) under the neck. These will get very large and sometimes can burst
out to the surface and start discharging pus. If the lymph nodes at the back of the throat
are affected then the horse may have difficulty breathing. Younger horses and very old
ones tend to be the worst affected and in these age groups pneumonia can develop.
Two serious complications of strangles are Purpura Haemorrhagica, an abnormality with the
blood which causes clotting problems, and Bastard Strangles where the infection spreads
throughout the entire body and treatment is usually hopeless. Only 3% of horses that
contract strangles die but the main problem with the disease is the ongoing problems that
it causes. Some horses will not get rid of the disease for years and can keep shedding it
from the nose, allowing the infection to keep spreading.
Strangles is a very difficult disease to treat, so prevention is the best control.
Infected horses must be put into isolation and prevented from making contact with other
horses. It is also important to prevent people from transferring the disease on hands or
clothes and through grooming and feeding equipment. Although there is no legal requirement
to do so, it is advisable that any stable that contracts strangles should not allow new
horses on or off the premises until all swabs taken by your vet have come back negative.
Prevention of strangles involves using quarantine procedures on yards. All new horses in a
yard should be isolated from other horses for at least a fortnight. This prevents the
spread of other diseases, not only strangles. If a horse comes from an infected yard it
should have at least three clear swabs. These swabs are taken from the back of the throat
and sent for culture. There should be two weeks between each swab and three clear Swabs
give a 95% chance of the horse being clear.
If you or anyone else on your yard has visited an infected stable then you should change
all your clothes and disinfect your hands and shoes thoroughly before handling any other
horses.
****
Important – Leap Year
Remember that vaccination intervals work on the number of days, i.e. 365, rather than one year. Therefore, because this is a leap year all vaccines done up to March 2009 must be two days before last year's date rather than one. Failure to adhere to this could cause you to be rejected from a competition and having to start the whole vaccine regime again.
****
WHITE LINE DISEASE
White line disease is known by a number of different names including seedy toe, gravel, wall separation, onychomycosis and hollow wall disease. The white line is a thin line of 'Velcro' like attachment that connects the hoof wall to the sensitive inner structures of the foot (the corium). Its lower end can be seen on the sole as a small white line where the sole is joined to the hoof wall. It is usually only 3-4 mm thick. White line disease occurs when this area is stretched, allowing bacteria and fungi to get in. Eventually, the tissue will start to crumble and the wall may begin to break away.
White line disease can be caused by
a number of things but, most commonly, it occurs following a bout of laminitis when the
toe tends to grow faster than the heel. This pulls the white line apart and
causes separation, especially towards the toe. This can also occur if the toes
overgrow naturally or if the horse has poor conformation. Nutritional deficiencies,
especially of methionine, biotin and occasionally essential oils will cause poor hoof
quality which leads to white line disease. It can also occur if the feet are not
cleaned and picked out regularly, as dirt can penetrate between the white line and the
laminae.
The shoe normally covers the white
line so the disease may not always be obvious in the shod horse, although a farrier should
pick it up when trimming and shoeing the foot. The first sign of a problem is often
an acute lameness when infection tracks in the white line and causes a foot abscess.
This year has been particularly bad for foot problems in horses. The wet summer has
given rise to lots of laminitic problems and the wet underfoot conditions have softened
the feet allowing infection to track in the white line.
As the disease progresses a lot of
cracks will appear in the hoof and the horse will keep losing shoes as the strength of the
hoof is reduced. There will often be dishing of the front of the sole, especially
following laminitis. If the disease progresses then the whole of the wall can break
away from the hoof.
When treating white line disease
good farriery is essential. All infected horn must be removed with corrective
trimming to realign the structures in the foot. In extensive cases large areas of
the hoof wall may need to be removed and resin used to fill the damaged area. There
are several things which can be done to help prevent white line disease:
* Pick out and clean the feet daily
* Get laminitis treated promptly
* Do not bandage or cover the foot as this locks in the harmful bacteria which causes the
disease
* Get your farrier involved at the first sign of a problem
* Look out for foot abscesses and call the vet if you are suspicious of one
* Use a hoof supplement to help harden the hoof tissue and help it repair
* Use an effective foot disinfectant if signs of white line disease are present
****
MUSCULAR BACK PAIN
As in humans, there are innumerable conditions which can cause back pain in the horse, ranging from specific orthopaedic conditions to muscle strains.
Soft tissue injuries can be divided into muscle strains and ligament strains. Both usually occur after a slip, a fall, or a poor jump. Fatigue or a lack of fitness will lead to problems. As ligaments heal more slowly than muscles these strains tend to be of longer duration and more persistent than those of the muscle.
Back pain will often occur if there is a lameness in any leg as this will put the back out of alignment when the horse moves and put abnormal strain on the muscles. Also, an unbalanced rider or a poorly fitted saddle will put abnormal strain on the horse's back and lead to similar problems.
The signs of back pain in the horse will vary considerably depending on the severity of the condition and also on the temperament of the horse. In severe cases such as spinal fractures there will be a great deal of pain, swelling and heat in the affected area. There can be stiffness in the neck and limbs, depending on where the fracture is, and sometimes weakness or paralysis if the spinal cord is involved. With soft tissue injuries the loss of performance is usually sudden and the muscles are often sore to the touch.
Muscle pain can be diagnosed by feel but if there are underlying problems it can be very difficult to diagnose. However, as most problems are muscular, try the following:
(a) Get a saddler out and have the saddle checked and re-flocked if necessary. A saddle is designed to spread the riders weight across the horse's back. An ill-fitting saddle will concentrate that weight in one spot, causing discomfort to the horse. Alternatively, replace the saddle and get one which is properly fitted to the horse.
(b) A horse's weight will often change during the year. A saddle which fits properly in summer may not fit the same in winter. Use a sheepskin numnah or gel pads if necessary.
(c) Warm the horse up properly before exercise. Do some neck twists using a carrot and when you first start riding play with the reins to make the horse stretch out its neck several times.
(d) Check your riding. An unbalanced rider will cause problems for the horse.
(e) If a back problem is present then ride on a firm, even surface for a few weeks. Avoid hills and limit jumping until the problem goes away.
(f) The farrier can raise the heels or use egg-bar shoes behind. This will help the problem settle.
(g) Physiotherapy can also help.
(h) Acupuncture is extremely effective at dissipating back muscle tension. Most horses will tolerate it very well, although some might require sedation.
****
CUSHINGS DISEASE
Cushings disease is a disease of older horses caused by an adenoma - a benign 'tumour' in the pituitary gland of the brain. This small gland, hanging down from the base of the brain stem, is responsible for producing an array of hormones, which stimulate the many glands of the body. Cushings is caused by an over-production of the hormone ACTH, which stimulates the adrenal glands (next to the kidneys) to produce large quantities of corticosteroids.
Cushings is only ever seen in older horses, usually over 15 years. A research survey has shown that every older horse has some changes in its pituitary gland so it can be assumed that every horse which lives long enough will eventually develop Cushings disease. There is another form of the disease seen in younger horses, usually overweight ponies, from 7 years. This is called Peripheral Cushings Syndrome and is not true Cushings but thought to be due to hormone activity in abdominal fat. However, it will show similar signs. Cushings can be slow developing and signs may appear over years rather than weeks or months.
The most obvious sign of Cushings is a long, curly coat. Shedding of the coat in spring is often delayed or, as the disease progresses, may not occur at all. Sweating is also a common sign and the coat often feels damp, even in colder weather.
One of the most common and potentially serious complications of Cushings disease is the occurrence of laminitis, which can vary from mild to severe and is usually recurrent. This is caused by the high levels of corticosteroids floating around in the system. The steroids also interfere with insulin and cause a diabetes-like syndrome. This will often show as an increase in drinking and urination. The steroids will also suppress the immune system and leave the horse or pony open to infections, most commonly foot abscesses, nasal discharges and parasites. They can also slow down the healing of wounds.
In the normal body steroids are used in periods of stress to mobilise energy. This is taken to an extreme in Cushings disease and the muscle of the body is broken down as an 'energy source', leading to a dropped back and a pendulous abdomen. In extreme cases the size of the lump in the brain may cause nerve effects including blindness and, occasionally, seizures or blackouts.
Diagnosis of Cushings is by a blood test. In some cases, especially in early Cushings, this may not give a definitive answer and a 'dynamic-test' is carried out where blood samples are taken on two different days following an injection of steroids into the horse. The normal suppression of the body's natural steroids does not occur in Cushings horses and can be measured on the sample.
Many horses/ponies will go on for an extended period of time with the disease without it causing problems. However, in many cases the disease will cause major problems, usually in the form of a recurrent laminitis, recurrent infections or neurological problems. In these cases the animals should receive treatment. Until recently two different human drugs have been used to treat the problem with varying degrees of success but recent research into a drug called Trilostane (licensed for use in horses in America) has produced very promising results in controlling the disease. The drug is licensed for dogs in this country and has caused great improvements. Horses must stay on the drug long term as it does not cure the problem but controls it. Despite the ongoing cost of treatment, results in horses which have been given the drug have been very promising.
Medi-armbands are now available from the club £3-50 each. These wrap around your arm and contain valuable personal details in case of an accident. Included:
Name
Medical Details (Allergies, Blood Group)
Name of GP
Religion
Phone No.
Call Carol Lamble on 01424 814512
On a lot of bits you will notice that there is a smooth side and a rough (ribbed) side to the bar that goes into your animal's mouth. It is very important that the smooth side is facing to the back of the bridle, otherwise the rough side is lying on the tongue and gums of your horse/pony's mouth. If this does happen your animal could become unhappy in his head carriage as the action of the bit will be very severe. Should you need to turn the bit around you may have to alter your curb chain hooks as many of the cheaper bits have these put on back to front. Talking of curb chains, it is amazing how many people fail to check that their curb chain has been done up straight. Always run your finger along it to make sure that it is lying flat. If not, undo and give another half turn and it should come right.