Question of the Month Archives

Month 7

Who was the famous jumping pony Stroller?

I love this question as Stroller and his rider were one of my riding idols that I read about growing up. Stroller was a 14.2 hand pony bought in Ireland as part of a job lot. Marion (Coakes) Mould from Britain had seen Stroller a few times and liked him. When she heard that the pony was for sale, she asked her father to have a look at him. That was at Wembley in 1960. Without jumping him or even having a vet check him out, Marion bought him. This incredible pony went on through nearly 12 show seasons without a day's lameness.

There were many highlights in Stroller's career but the best years of the partnership together with Marion and Stroller were from 1965 to 1070. Marion twice won the Queen Elizabeth Cup for Lady riders at the Royal International Horse Show. Marion became the first woman to win the Hamburg Jumping Derby, and Stroller was the only horse (and he was a pony!) to have jumped three clear rounds in the history of the Hickstead Derby. For 5 consecutive years, they won the Hickstead Gold Medal which is awarded on points for consistency throughout the season. Marion and Stroller also won the ladies' world championship in 1965, and were runners-up when the competition was next held five years later.

Stroller's honours list is lengthy if not endless, and it is particularly satisfying that he won the last competition he entered, the Country Life & Riding Cup at the Horse of the Year Show in 1971.

Marion and Stroller joined David Broome and Harvey Smith, with Alison Dawes as reserve, in the British team for the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. Stroller was defeated for the Individual Gold Medal by Snowound, ridden by the American ace Bill Steinkraus, but the Silver Medal he did win represents one of the finest achievements in post-war British sporting history.

Book reference -- International Show Jumping Eventing and Dressage

Barbie Whitworth

Month 6

I am not sure how to take care of my horse's legs. Some people say that I should bandage my horse every night. Some people tell me I should bandage after jumping. What is the right way to care for my horse's legs?

The first question you should contemplate before deciding whether or not to bandage your horse's legs at night should be what purpose and what effect does bandaging have on a horse. Also, what conditions does your horse have on or in his legs that may or may not require bandaging? In other words, bandaging shouldn't be used without a specific cause and effect. A horse that is bandaged too often is at a higher risk of forming a bandage bow or a bowed tendon than a horse that is only wrapped on certain occasions. Mostly, if the horse is wrapped too tightly with pressure in the wrong direction with ill-fitting wraps, great damage can be caused to the tendons of your horse's legs. You figure, at night, a horse wears these wraps for 12 hours before they can be removed the next morning. That is 12 hours of pressure on his/her tendons. Again, if the pressure is too tight, a tendon can bow. Also, if the horse wears wraps too frequently, you have to be wary of bandage rubs and abrasions that can form underneath the wrap. If it is applied correctly, the wrap serves as support for tendons, which may have been weakened by an injury or put under stress after a jumping or high impact performance.

Reasons why we bandage horses: number one- a horse has an acute injury on the leg that requires pressure or support. For example, your horse has a cut or wound that is actively bleeding and needs to be dressed with pressure applied to the area to slow the bleeding. Or, your horse has a fat, hot, swollen leg from an acute tendon injury, or even a dermatitis/skin condition. In this case, the wrap serves as support and can also serve as sweat to reduce the amount of edema or fluid pooling in the leg as well as to draw the heat out of it, if it is wrapped with a poultice. Reason number two- you want to cover your horse's legs and offer a little support while he ships. Shipping wraps should fit slightly different than stall wraps. You want to cover more of the leg with the wrap, say, down to the area of the pastern above the coronet band of the foot.

So, it is important to make sure you use quilts that are long enough on your horse. Furthermore, I prefer shipping wraps to shipping boots because wraps offer better support to the horse's legs and they do not tear off as easily (less risk of a horse traveling with half-on/ half-off protection). Reason number three for wrapping your horse: your horse has a chronic condition such as "stocky legs" or "windpuffs." It is more common in older competition horses that they will suffer from poor circulation, typically in hind legs, that can be improved by wearing supportive wraps nightly. The purpose of the support wrap to put pressure on the leg helps increase blood circulation in the leg (applied not with too much pressure), and thus, your horse will suffer from less "stocky legs" in the morning when he goes out. However, be wary of bandage rubs and wrapping correctly to avoid tendon bows if you are going to wrap every night. Reason number four is the most important reason of all for a performance horse: wrapping after jumping or high impact work. The stress put on a horse's tendons after jumping, intense galloping, and tight maneuvering is incredible. In order for the horse's legs to recover for the next day, a supportive wrap over a little liniment, witch hazel, or poultice is a must. Witch hazel is a great astringent for horses with sensitive skin and it can be used safely if you have to wrap your horse daily at a show or at home.

So reader, when thinking about whether or not your horse needs wraps consider these things that wraps are used for: first aid, pressure/ support, circulation, and protection. Remember, when wrapping your horse use properly fitting quilts that don't contain any damage to the fabric or creases. Flannel cotton quilts are the best because they are soft on the horse's skin, they don't slip as easily, and they are thick enough that it is nearly impossible to make them too tight. Beware the thin bandage quilt! Make sure your bandage is long enough to start below the knee and finish below the knee, and that it has only a slight stretch to it. If it is too stretchy, it easily becomes too tight. When applying your wrap, remember to start around from the front inside the cannon bone, out towards you, and back around--always pulling the bandage back in the direction of the hind end, never pulling forward. At the front of the bandage, over the ankle, make sure you make a downward facing "v" as to make sure the bandage dipped below the ankle for support and then finished coming back up the leg, nice and even. When finished wrapping, the Velcro of the bandage should be pointing towards the hind end and you should be able to fit a finger in the wrap if it is not too tight.

Month 5

I brush my horse quickly before and after I ride. Lately, I have been hearing the importance of grooming properly. What are the benefits of grooming and what should I be doing?

There are so many reasons to spend quality time grooming on your horse that I can't begin to cover all of them. However, the most important reasons to spend at least 40 minutes a day grooming your horse are for his health, his quality of coat and appearance, and his happiness- it is your most important time of the day to bond with your horse. And bonding with your horse is of the utmost importance if you want to have success in the show ring--it is how you get to know his personality, what bothers him, and what needs he has. He in turn relates to you as the person who gives him affection and makes him feel good. A horse will always be more willing to perform for a person that makes him comfortable and that he can trust. Especially if you horse spends a considerable amount of time in his stall, grooming is an opportunity for him to get out and socialize. Domesticated horses are social creatures and crave interaction; otherwise, if left alone often, they can get depressed.

Besides being a bonding time, grooming contributes tremendously to how your horse feels and the quality of his appearance. Show horses, especially, should be groomed until their coats glisten. The best way to get your horse's coat to glisten is to curry, curry, curry… and brush, brush, brush…and towel, towel, towel. It takes a lot of sweat work on your part to remove the dander and bring out the essentials oils in a horse's skin that make his coat glow. Surely, diet also contributes to the health of a horse's coat if it contains quality hay and supplements like Omega 3 fatty acids and flaxseed. But, there is no replacement for what you can do with 30-40 minutes of brushing and currying. A common mistake people make in grooming is bathing too often. The soaps used in bathing strip the horse of these essential oils that can make his coat shine. Thus, he will be left with a very clean, but dull coat. Bathing should be used sparingly, and only when he is really sweaty or dusty or he has to show that day, should he be bathed. Even when at the show, a dark colored horse shouldn't be fully bathed more than once or twice in a week. All that water is also bad for the condition of their feet. Spot remover and spot washing is the best way to go if you have a white horse that wakes up visibly filthy each day. Also, use your grooming time to keep his mane pulled and to keep his ears, muzzle, jowl, bridle path, and legs trimmed of long hairs. He then will look like a million dollars even if he cost you a thousand. Remember, your horse's appearance reflects your own dedication to his well-being. Any rider that shows up with a poorly groomed horse appears ignorant and neglectful.

Grooming is directly involved with your horse's health and well-being. While grooming your horse, you are scouring his entire body for any hair that may be out of place, which may lead to early discovery of a larger problem. Groom with your hands. Feel your horse's legs for unusual heat, swelling, or bumps. Check his temperature daily. Examine his feet for heat, bruises, foreign objects or poor condition, such as crumbling or deterioration of the hoof wall. Look for ticks, bug bites, hives, or developing dermatitis. Early detection is the best form of prevention. Pay attention to how he reacts to the curry. Does he wince and shiver when you curry over the saddle area? Maybe he has a sore back. Does his skin wrinkle when your brush over it? Maybe he is dehydrated. Grooming can tell you way more than riding about the state of your horse's health. Remember, the best ridden horse is the best managed and best groomed horse.

So reader, what should you be doing? You should be taking the time before and after you ride to put your hands all over your horse. Feel him. Brush him. Curry him. Bond with him.

Month 4

What are gymnastic exercises and what are some of the benefits?

Gymnastics , also referred to as grids , are jumping exercises for horses which are typically a series of multiple jumps placed in a row. The first jump is usually preceded with a pole, or set of poles called cavalletti, which regulate the horses stride and assists him with a proper take off necessary to be successful for the rest of the exercise. The horse is usually asked to trot in to the exercise, and then continues on cantering to the following sets of jumps.

How one chooses to set gymnastics depends on the skill level of the rider, and the training and abilities of the horse. The strides between jumps can range from no strides (bounce) to four or five strides. Factors such as the size of riding arenas, and fitness level of the horse, influence the distances and numbers of jumps used. A typical grid would include bounces, one and two strides between jumps, with three or four jumps used in a row.

The shapes of the jumps are also varied, with the x, or cross pole commonly used to begin the exercise, followed by verticle jumps and oxers (parallel poles).

There are many benefits to gymnastic training.

Using gymnastics is an excellent way to introduce a horse to learning to jump. With properly adjusted distances for individuals, one trot jump leading to a stride or two of canter to the next jump helps a horse organize himself and build his confidence cantering to jump.

As a horse advances in his training, there are many ways to use gymnastics to enhance his jumping abilities. Trainers can observe the strengths and weaknesses of a horse and adjust the jumps to help him improve his technique and agility by altering the distances between jumps as well as size and width.

Gymnastics are also an excellent training tool for riders as well, helping develop rhythm, balance, timing and confidence. Advanced riders can ride without stirrups to develop a secure leg and seat. Riding without holding on to the reins and holding the arms up away from the horse also teaches the rider to rely on his seat and leg for security and teaches independence from using his hands for balance.

Since there are so many ways to set gymnastics, it is a good idea to study what experts suggest.

For simple, easy to follow directions on setting progressive gymnastics, I recommend 101 Jumping Exercises, by Linda Allen.

Also, very some very excellent advanced training suggestions, The DeNemethy Method, by Bertalan DeNemethy is and excellent resource.

Suzy Huizenga
Twin Maples Farm Equestrian Training
www.twinmaplesfarm.org

Month 3

Why is Flatwork so important?

No matter what aspect of the sport we are talking about, flatwork is beneficial for you and your horse. You can liken your flatwork to the athletes work-out in the gym. Why do top athletes follow a specific work-out program? A work-out program helps the athlete to develop overall fitness, the ability to develop specific muscle groups, to build strength, balance, stamina, flexibility, suppleness, agility and gain an understanding of their body.

Working on the flat aids your horse in developing these same qualities allowing him to be better able to stretch, bend, lengthen and shorten and respond accurately to your aids. The flatwork gym is the place that through repetition of progressive and accurate workouts - preparation for greatness happens!

Depending upon your discipline, the flatwork is often a catalyst to enabling you to accomplish other tasks well. For instance you may be a jumper or equitation rider. The jumper courses of today are a ridability contest where the horse is required to be responsive, agile, quick and brave. The work that you do on the flat will help to prepare your jumper for the show ring. If your horse does not respond to a question asked on the flat, he is most certainly not going to give you the accurate response once you incorporate the jumps on course. Your flatwork can be tell-tale to what you can anticipate happening on course.

With the hunter we often talk about the course being made up of flat work with a few obstacles in the way. More of the time on course is spent on the ground than in the air and therefore the more easily your horse responds to your aids on the flat the more likely you are to have a positive outcome on course. Much of a hunter ride, though when well done is invisible, is monitoring and adjusting the quality of the horses stride including straightening, balancing and pace. In order to have these adjustments be invisible, the horse has to have a clear understanding of the riders aids and be sensitive to the most subtle of corrections. In most cases, the beautiful top hunter round is created on a horse that understands his job on the flat.

For the rider, flatwork will help you to attain some of the same attributes as the athlete in the gym as well as to help you to develop that ultimate important quality for success called 'feel'. The many hours that you spend in the saddle doing accurate flatwork exercises will be invaluable to your long term success.

Suggestions -- at the next horse show, watch the Grand Prix riders, not just in the show ring but in the schooling area working their horses on the flat. There is a wealth of knowledge awaiting you with time spent watching and learning from the leaders in your sport. Most leading riders will tell you that a major component to their success is in the quality of the flatwork that they do.

It will always pay you dividends to do a great job with your flatwork. Resolve now to become a master with your flatwork.

Barbie Whitworth
Coach/Trainer
www.iaeeconnect.com

Month 2

I am new to riding and I am really looking forward to when I get to start jumping.
When will I know that I am ready?

This is a great question and requires more than one answer. First of all, your coach who works with you will likely have a specific program that they are following in order to teach you what you need to know with your basic knowledge on the flat. Ask your coach about your progress and when they feel you will be ready to proceed to the jumps.

Here though are a few ways that you will be able to gauge for yourself whether you are ready to learn to jump. It is important to stay with your horse and out of your horse's way when you are jumping. Therefore you will need to be secure in your position on the flat with sitting trot, canter and also with your jump position at both trot and canter. Once you have established this and have achieved a good degree of independence with your hands and seat you are ready to get started with small jumps.

Barbie Whitworth
Coach/Trainer
www.iaeeconnect.com

Month 1

I would like to grow my library of equestrian books. What are some of the books that you have in your library?

This is a fun question to answer for me! I have so many books on many topics that are geared toward riding but let me list just a few favorites here for you. Go to the homepage of www.IAEEConnect.com and select Resources to check out the Amazon Carousel. It has some of my favorite books!

Barbie Whitworth
Coach/Trainer
www.iaeeconnect.com