Probables for the GI Woodward Stakes this Saturday

The $750,000, GI Woodward Stakes, going 1 1/8 mile will be the GI handicap divisional “Swan Song” at Saratoga this summer as the “Old Spa” readies to shutter its turnstiles until next Summer’s fun here at the northern NYRA campus for advanced handicapping studies!

Free Past Performances,

“Probables” for the 2012 edition of GI Woodward Stakes are,

Mucho Macho Man, Cease, Rule, To Honor and Serve, Stay Thirsty with the GI Whitney winner in Fort Larned still on the fence as of this writing!

So, we’d look for more top names to surface for this 2-turn, GI, for 3yo’s and up, handicap divison grand finale here this weekend at the “Old Spa” with the winner here probably securing a gate out at Santa Anita for the Nov. 3rd running of the $5,000,000 Breeders’ Cup Classic dust-up!

The GII Suburban Hcp, for the older boys is on tap this Saturday at beautiful Belmont Park

To Honor and Serve,  was made the 9/5 M/L favorite for Saturday’s $350,000, 1 1/8 mile, GII Suburban Hcp here at Belmont Park, as this will be the final big Graded Stakes of the Spring/Summer meet over the main, for the handicap division!

Free Past Performances,

A Coupled entry of Stay Thirsty and Caixa Eletronica checks in at 7/2, Mucho Macho Man is next at 4/1 and at 6/1 are Hymn Book and Trickmeister.

So below, find the class of 2012 for this edition of the GII Suburban Hcp!

 Race #9 – 5:06 PM   EDT!

By Posts, Horse M/L Odds, Jockey, Weight,

Picks are – 7, 6, 4, 1 exacta box then add the 3,5 to a dime super!

So the graded stakes season over the Belmont main, for the older boys, will draw to a close this weekend, as the GII Suburban Hcp springboards the handicap division up to Saratoga by month’s end on the 2012 N.Y.R.A. circuit!

GII Suburban Hcp is on tap here at Belmont Park this Saturday!

The $350,000, GII Suburban Hcp is starting to look more like a GI with a potential field of top older horses coming out for this final graded stakes “dirt route” of the Handicap season at Belmont Park’s Spring/Summer meet this Saturday.

Free Past Performances,

The elite ”Probables” coming out here for this GI dust-up, disguised as a GII are,

To Honor and Serve, Mucho Macho Man, Stay Thirsty, Hymn Book, Rule, Trickmeister, Rogue Romance and Buffum!

If this potential field should hold together intact until post time on Saturday, the Belmont faithful just might see a Saratoga-bound road show preview of this year’s Whitney or Woodward up at the Old Spa, later this Summer.

The GI Stephen Foster Hcp is up this Saturday here at Churchill Downs as they will race “under the lights”

This Saturday here at Churchill Downs, the older boys take center stage in the $400,000 GI Stephen Foster Handicap, going 1 1/8 mile over the Churchill main and ”Under the Saturday Night Lights” again!

This dust-up for the older male division is also a ” Win and You’re In” Breeders’ Cup ”Classic Division“ race, as well!

Free Past Performances,

Coming out for a definite run here is Wise Dan, the 2011 GI Clark Hcp winner here last fall and in a first out this year, ran away from a good group of older horses in the GIII Ben Ali at Keeneland back in April covering the 1 1/8 mile in 1:46.3 winning by 10 lengths. So Wise Dan looks to be in top form right now and will probably be the Morning Line favorite this Saturday.

Other Probables are:

Alternation, Astrology, Fort Larned, Mission Impazible, Mucho Macho Man, Nates Mineshaft, Nehro, Rogue Romance, Ron the Greek, Successful Dan and To Honor and Serve!

If all these top older horses do show for this race it will be one of the best fields yet assembled in the handicap division this year!

Before you buy a horse, have you given any thought to what age horse is right for you? The age of a horse is a part of horse ownership that is sometimes misunderstood. There are pros and cons to young horses, as well as horses in their late teens and early twenties.

With age comes experience, patience, and understanding. Three qualities

any horse owner wants in a horse.

Have you given any thought to what age horse is right for you? The age of a horse is a part of horse ownership that is sometimes misunderstood. Many people feel that older horses are washed up and ready for the pasture. That could not be further from the truth in many cases.

There are pros and cons to young horses as well as horses in their late teens and early twenties. The age of the horse you are looking for is not as important as to how well the horse fits you and your program.

When asked, “what is too old when looking at a horse?” I always answer that question with a question. What kind of shape and how sound is the horse? The age of a horse is not nearly as important as how sound and healthy the horse is, as well as how well the horse fits its rider.

I recently had a conversation with a man whose son bought a horse for his family. He thought it would be a good idea to have a young horse for his kids to grow up with. In this situation he had no idea of what it takes to handle a young, inexperienced horse. The horse did not work for the family and the kids lost interest in riding because of the difficulty they were having. This is a common myth and mistake.

Two of our cutting horses were nineteen years old when we bought them. Both horses were purchased to teach youth riders to cut and work cattle. We were looking for horses that could teach us the tricks of the trade of cutting. They have been great for us, and one is still competing and doing quite well. The key to the success with these older horses has been that we have taken good care of them and exercised them regularly. Regular exercise and a consistent program is critical to helping older horses remain active.

While we do have young horses on the ranch, what I have found through the years is that a sound, older horse with experience is much more reliable day in and day out. Young horses provide energy, and stamina for their rider. However, with that energy comes quickness. I have ridden many young (4 to 7 years old), very well trained and well mannered horses that wouldn’t think of hurting a rider on purpose. Their quickness and athleticism, however, made them difficult to ride, especially for a novice rider.

Horses with age have had (in many cases) the opportunity to see more through the years. In my experience that has meant the horse is more stable and suitable for riding out on the trail. Usually, it takes a little more to spook and concern an older, more experienced horse. If you are a novice rider, think about looking into an older, more experienced horse for your first purchase.

Things To Be Aware Of With Older Horses

A Vet Check is critical with the purchase of an older horse. Have the Vet check for Navicular, and Arthritis. Cardiovascular is also important to check in the older horse. Ask the Vet to examine the horse’s teeth and mouth to assure healthy teeth and gums. A problem in the mouth could lead to lack of nutrition. The teeth of many older horses need to be floated upon purchase.

Older horses will need to be cared for a little differently in extreme weather. Be sure to take into consideration that they may need to be blanketed in cold weather, and may need to be brought in and offered electrolytes in the heat of the summer. Having shelter and clean water available is also very important. Seniors may require a special feed to maintain a quality health.

Some senior horses do require a little more care than a younger option. But don’t let that out weigh all of the wonderful benefits they have to offer you in the best years of their life. If gentle, experience, wisdom, and a desire to please is what you are looking for in a horse, don’t overlook a horse in their mid to late teens.

Jason Borchardt has spent his life with horses. He has been involved with many disciplines in the horse arena, from showing, breaking, western pleasure, cutting…the list goes on and on. He currently co runs a family ranch in the Texas Hill Country, where he spends the best part of his days on the back of a horse. His desire is to educate people on buying horses, through http://www.realhorseappeal.com, so they don’t make the same mistakes he has through the years.

2012 Derby Trail Diary

With the 2012 Derby Trail now in full swing, we’d like to offer up this weekly posting on the  latest  going’s-on down this year’s Derby Trail we’d like to call the “2012 Derby Trail Diary“!

A new entry will appear ever Monday in our diary posting after we’ve had a chance to digest all the previous weekend’s happenings

We’ll run this weekly posting from now until the final pre-derby 3yo graded stakes race has been run as we hope you’ll find something to take away from each posting.

So we’ll begin with our first entry for the weekend of Jan. 28th and 29th.

Saturday, Jan 28th was filled with Sunshine Millions tussles all at Gulfstream Park with some big graded stakes action at Santa Anita Park too, all for the older horses, however!

Sunday, Jan 29th,

Gulfstream Park held a pair of significant 3yo contests in the GII Forward Gal for the ladies and GIII Holy Bull Stakes!

The weatherman had forecast only a 30% chance of showers for Hallandale, Fla, but it looks like all 30% let loose over Gulfstream Park during the race day there on Sunday and by race #8 the “Turf” sign read “Off” and the Gulfstream main had quickly degraded from fast, to wet-fast, to sloppy by the post time of the GII Forward Gal.

These sloppy track conditions were about to play an important role in the outcomes of both of these G/S contests here on Sunday.

The GII Forward Gal’s odd-on favorite in Broadway’s Alibi stormed home the much-the-best winner here in a visually impressive 16 length win in 1:21.94 over the soggy 7f going here on Sunday. (VIDEO)

What is really noteworthy here is that she covered the 7f’s in a faster time than the boys did in the Holy Bull over that same soggy surface. Besides, 1:21.94 is still very good for any 3yo going 7f’s in January, even over a “fast” surface!

Watch for this Todd Pletcher trained 3yo femme fatale in the ladies 3yo division this year as maybe a berth in the Kentucky Oaks awaits her off this effort.

The GIII Holy Bull Stakes was to be the 2012 coming out party for the 2yo male HOY for 2011 in Hansen and was supposed to be a cake-walk for him. (VIDEO)

One mile, grabbing the early lead, playing catch me if you can. Well, apparently the racing gods had other plans for this Eclipse Award winner here on Sunday!

Laden with the albatross of the 2yo HOY award round his neck Hansen slipped quietly into gate #4 but as the gates flew open Hansen quickly stumbles coming out of his berth as if the burdening weight of his 2yo crown was pulling him earthbound!

Hansen did quickly recover, only to bump My Adonis in the 3-path in steadying himself then suddenly found himself trailing the field in this slop-fest, both situations a first for him as the racing gods seemly looked on in joyful glee!

Finding his footing at last over the slippery going, Hansen charged head-long to the lead covering the first panel in :23.64, then amazingly covered the first 1/2 mile in a head-strong time of :45.67 for these sloppy conditions, then quickly again click off a 1:10.21 for 3/4′s but was fading fast by then.

The Todd Pletcher trained Algorithms who had been sitting in a quiet stalking position early on, moved on the far turn and caught a quickly tiring Hansen in the stretch then motored right on by for the easy 5-length score.

My Adonis who had been bumped by Hansen at the start of this race was closing like a freight train in the stretch to finish a rallying 3rd!

So some “take-a-ways” from this final weekend of January, 2012′s Derby Trail contests,

1. Mr. Todd had the training-double here on Sunday and showed his got some serious Derby and Oaks fire-power under his wing again for 2012!

Oh and P.S. his got another 3yo named El Padrino who won a 1 1/16 alw tilt here on Sunday in a very nice time of 1:42.3. over that same soggy surface too. Look for him in something big soon as the hits keep coming for Mr. Todd!

2. Broadway’s Alibi looks to be a serious Oaks player and a force to be reckoned with in the ladies 3yo division this year. Just needs a stretch out win next time out for an official Oaks berth!

3. My Adonis looked much better on Sunday then that absymal 25-length lose in the Delta Downs Jackpot last out. He was coming fast at the end of this slop-fest and had this been a longer race he could have vied for the win. Something for the Hall’s and Kelly Breen to hang their hats on going forward with him.

4. Algorithms, with his win here on Sunday gathered in $240,000 in Graded Stakes earnings which will probably be enough for a Derby Gate this year, but like Broadway’s Alibi needs a solid performance in a longer contest to be a name on everyones lips come May 5th!

5. Hansen’s faltering 2nd here isn’t a good omen for him. Yes, you can chalk it up to a bad break and first time over the slop, but that head-strong, near panic drive on the backstretch should give his connections some pause about where to try him next.

Hansen may have $1.3 million in graded stakes earning, but he is looking more and more like a middle distance horse to us. So maybe it’s back to Turfway for a recoup race to help him return to his winning ways again and then maybe a polytrack route to Churchill much like Animal Kingdom in 2011!

Hansen, at this moment, simply isn’t ready for the Big Dance, yet!

Oh, and for you Union Rags fans out there, vindictation for the Eclipse Award snub, right as Union Rags appears headed for a GII Fountain of Youth start next month!

So this Saturday, the 2012 Derby Trail flows thru multiple venues in: Aqueduct in the GIII Withers Stakes, Tampa Bay Downs in the GIII Sam F. Davis Stakes and Santa Anita Park with the GII Robert B. Lewis Stakes as the quest for Louisville and 138th Run for the Roses continues!

The feature race around Australia and New Zealand for older horses last week was the Doomben Cup (Gr 1), won for the second time by Scenic Shot.

Now eight, Scenic Shot had been away from competition for more than 12 months before returning in January this year. He has been building up to a win and at his start before the Doomben Cup he finished a good third behind Kingdom Of Fife and Glass Harmonium and the trio fought out the finish on Saturday.

Scenic Shot enjoyed all the luck in running, virtually able to stay on the inside the entire trip, coming through with a relentless finish in the straight to score. Kingdom Of Fife travelled wide throughout the final half of the race and Glass Harmonium raced to a four length lead at halfway, staying on well in the straight, less than one length covering them at the finish.

There has been some criticism of Hugh Bowman’s ride on Glass Harmonium in the tabloid press but we do not subscribe to this. With a decided lack of pace in the race Bowman seized the initiative and he very nearly pulled it off. That Glass Harmonium was able to show such tactical speed could be seen to good effect in the Spring.

We had Scenic Shot on 115 before last Saturday and have raised him to 118 as well as raising Glass Harmonium.

Woorim (114) can mix his form but when he is on song he is very effective as displayed with his big finish to land the BRC Sprint (Gr 3) under 56kg. Although now five, Woorim looks to be reaching his peak and he goes forward to the Stradbroke Handicap a legitimate chance.

Mention needs to made of Niwot (110), who ran away with the Duke Of Norfolk Stakes, now run as the Andrew Ramsden Stakes, over 3200 metres at Flemington. Off the course for 18 months due to a slab fracture of a knee, Niwot has been nursed back to the track by Team Hawkes and has won over 200 metres at Flemington and finished a good second in the Warrnambool Cup.

He might not be a Maluckyday but he tries his heart out and he can gallop so he deserved his day in the Sun.

In addition to this somewhat annoying and distressing step backward, I have attempted to take a few forward. Rose is now on 2 additional supplements which I have been trying out. Apple cider vinegar has long been claimed to be great for Cushings, I’m not 100% sure why but I think it has something to do with metabolism and immune support. I don’t know if I fully believe it, but i’ve put her on it anyway. Falloons in Dairy Flat sells jugs of apple cider vinegar mixed with manuka honey and garlic. I figured if nothing else, the garlic and manuka honey are well known to be immuno-supportive which is definitely something that she needs. I also -just- bought a massive jug of flax seed oil (which is actually linseed oil, not flax like native NZ flax…). I mainly purchased this at the urging of my mom because of its claims at supporting healthy skin, hair, and hoof growth (Rose has recently been prone to sand cracks). However it is also supposed to support the immune system and help with joint stress worries by helping with inflammation. As well as this it supposedly calms nervous animals and does various other things which lead me to believe it may have an effect on the stress response. If this is so, it could be very good for a Cushings horse!
I suppose the results will speak for themselves in a short while, but to cut a long story short – though Rose continues to be difficult and crop up with more and more annoying issues, so far I have been able to deal with them rather easily. This lets me live in hope that I can continue to manage her condition.
She is unfortunately showing the degradation in the topline said to be common to Cushings horses and so I am going to be working her a lot on the lunge (once I have healed, myself) to try and build some of that muscle back up before I get on her again.

Has anyone ever used flax seed oil, or apple cider vinegar as supplements? And did you notice any change? Also, if anyone has any tips on rebuilding a topline from the ground up, so to speak, I would be eager to hear them!

- C.

1. I Want Revenge. He was good enough as a three-year-old to be the morning-line favourite for the Kentucky Derby before being forced to scratch the morning of the race. Despite a rocky and abbreviated season last year at four, he looks to regain some of the brilliant form that made him so respected in 2009.

2. Hear Ye Hear Ye. Basically the only horse in the race I know nothing about.

3. Morning Line missed by a head in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile to end an eye-catching three-year-old season, and opened this year with a tightener in the Hal’s Hope, which he didn’t win but didn’t need to. He’ll be much more prepared on Saturday.

4. Giant Oak. This GI winner will make his twenty-fourth career start in the Donn, and an on-the-board finish will make him a millionaire.

5. Eldaafer enters off a win in the Breeders’ Cup Marathon.

6. Fly Down, a GII winner at three and considered one of Nick Zito’s big horses for 2011. In his last appearance, he finished third to Blame and Zenyatta in the Breeders’ Cup Classic. How’s that for company?

7. Square Eddie had been retired and standing at stud after what was supposed to have been a career-ending cannon bone break, but he didn’t attract good mares and healed up better than expected, so he was put back in training as a sort of experiment. The experiment was a resounding success; in his return, the son of Smart Strike smashed the Santa Anita 6.5 furlong track record.

8. Rule is a multiple stakes-winning son of Roman Ruler who was considered a major Derby threat before he tailed off and Todd Pletcher sent him back to WinStar. Now he’s all grown up and back in action, he finished second in the Hal’s Hope in January in his first start in about eight months. Pletcher will have him cranked up much tighter for this race.

9. Ron the Greek is another hopeless long shot I know nothing about.

So… yeah. There’s that. Definitely the most exciting Donn I’ve ever seen line up. I mean, yes, Quality Road was an absolute monster breaking his own track record last year, but did we honestly think he’d lose that? This right here provides an opportunity to measure the 2011 handicap horses against each other for the first time, and I am excite.

Winter months are challenging for horses and their owners. Many areas of the US aren’t just cold; weather changes can include freezing rain, snow, high winds and occasionally a blizzard.  Water buckets freeze, hay blows away, horses lose weight, or colic. These additional tips can help your horse cope with winter conditions:

* If hay is limited, beet pulp is also a beneficial source of fiber. Also, check out ”complete feeds” that have the fiber already in the bag.  If there’s not a sufficient amount of beef pulp, or another source of fiber make sure to ask your veterinarian about other options. 

*Use hay feeders during the winter. Up to 20% of hay is wasted when horses are fed on the ground. Hay gets stepped on, gets lost in the snow or blows away with high winter winds.

* Horses might drink less water if  the water is cold or freezing which can lead to an increased risk of colic. Make sure your horse is consuming at least 10 gallons of fresh clean water each day. Use tub and/or bucket heaters to help reduce ice formation and to keep the water lukewarm. Check all water sources and remove ice daily.

* Provide salt blocks in fields and stalls. Although salt intake is more important during the hot summer months, horses do not meet their daily salt requirements by eating hay or other forage.

* Older horses have additional needs during the winter. Feeding a diet based on beet pulp prior to and during winter can help them maintain their weight during the winter. Some horses prefer to live outside but when the weather gets below zero, older horses should be stalled inside until the weather improves.

Your horse’s back has three distinct sections called the Thoracic, Lumbar and Sacral regions. Each part of the horse’s back needs to be aligned correctly to help your horse move easily and efficiently. 

The Thoracic region

The Thoracic region is composed of 18 vertebrae which attach to the ribs, forming the trunk of the horse. The thoracic region of the equine back is rigid and inflexible compared to other mammals and begins right behind the withers.

This portion of the back carries the saddle and rider due to the shape of the interconnecting facets of the thoracic vertebrae that restrict dorsal (upward) and ventral (downward) movement of the spine.  Horses seldom have disc  issues because the thoracic region is very inflexible and the discs are narrow, compared to human’s discs.

The Lumbar Region

This area is composed of 6 vertebrae which are flatter, wider and heavier than those in the thoracic region. The spinous processes of the vertebrae become smaller and the transverse processes become longer.  The shape of the lumbar vertebrae permit more lateral, dorsal, and ventral flexion of the spine in this region.

The Sacral Region

The area where the lumbar vertebrae connect with the sacral vertebrae is called the Lumbar-Sacral Junction. Flexibility in the lumbar-sacral junction is essential to achieve collection because it allows a horse to bring his hind legs underneath him and drive off the power of his “engine”. 

The sacral vertebrae include the vertebrae in the horse’s tail, which help with balance. Throughout the spine are nerves that carry messages from the brain of the horse to the rest of the body.

 Adjust feeding programs: As pasture quality declines during the winter your horse’s hay and grain will need to be increased.  If your feeding program doesn’t include a mineral supplement, consider adding one especially during the winter.

Have teeth checked: Make sure your horse’s teeth are checked by an equine dentist before winter time. The inability to grind food properly will prevent a horse from getting all of the nutrients and energy it needs–especially if energy needs increase during colder weather.

Prevent snowballs: If horses are outside during the day, snow packs into your horse’s hooves making it hard for them to walk. Make sure to pick their hooves out when you bring them in. Smearing the hoof bottom with petroleum jelly may reduce snow buildup.

When you ride: Even with an indoor arena, drying a horse out after a workout takes quite a while. If your horse has a heavy coat, consider body clipping your horse. Or at least a trace clip, which allows them to stay warm outside but cool off quicker after being ridden. A clipped horse, without natural insulation, will require stabling and blanketing to keep warm.

Add insulation: Always blanket your horse during wet, very windy, or frigid weather. A wet coat looses its loft–like a wet down jacket, and won’t hold body heat. Windy weather pulls warmth away. Depending on where you live, your horse may need a light blanket and a heavy winter blanket over it to keep the wind and cold away.

Provide shelter:      Even if your horses are stabled inside over night, provide them with a wind break, shed row or three-sided shelter when they’re turned out, especially if you’re gone most of the day.

Regular deworming: Make sure to deworm your horses after the first heavy frost and use a wormer that will kill bot larvae. Continue a regular deworming program throughout the winter months.

Don’t let hooves get overgrown: Keep you horse’s hooves trimmed. Trimmed hooves will chip less, hold less snow. Some horses may need winter shoes with extra traction if they are on icy, slippery terrain.

Make cleaning frozen water buckets easier: Rubber buckets are easier to knock the ice out of when they become frozen. Plastic buckets can shatter and break when they freeze. Rubber buckets may be more expensive, but last longer.

Therapeutic riding program

At a therapy riding program the horses are chosen because they’re bomb proof and safe for mentally or physically challenged children or adults to ride. Volunteers often help walk or trot the horses while one or two people walk beside the horse and hold the student in the saddle.  Just like a horse rescue facility, there are always barn chores and fundraising activities to help with.

Summer horse camp

No matter what your age, going to a camp that has a riding program is a great a way to get more experience. Usually there’s routine work that needs to be done at a camp barn, most of it requires little training. Horses have to be fed, held for the farrier, watered, sprayed down with fly spray, tacked up for lessons and turned out into pastures or paddocks every day. And of course, stalls need to be mucked out .

Camp horses and ponies are safe to ride and willing. Riding lessons will provide the basics, maybe some jumping and show you how to take care of a horse. Ask questions, watch and you’ll learn a lot.

Helping out at a horse rescue facility

There are horse rescue facilities all over the country that take in injured, retired or unwanted horses and rehabilitate them. They always need volunteers and are grateful for any help they get. Most facilities need help with grooming and exercising horses, marketing and fundraising activities, cleaning tack and fostering or adopting a horse or pony.

Taking riding lessons or leasing a horse

If you want to ride but don’t want the commitment of paying for feed, vet and farrier bills, taking lessons is a great way to get into the horse world or to return after being away for a while. Riding a school horse will help build your confidence, improve your balance and fitness without taking up too much of your time.

Leasing a horse may be the next logical step. If you find the right horse than leasing can provide more mileage and experience. You can ride more often, go to horse shows, and help more with its care. And you’ll pick up some of the costs but not all. Leasing details differ from barn to barn, so check the contract out before you sign it to make sure you’re getting what you want.

Tack shops

Put up advertisements about your barn and what you offer on the community bulletin board or in the store window.  Include your experience, trainer information, maybe a picture and training prices. People always look at the boards for used equipment, new barns, upcoming clinics, horse shows, horses for sale, trainers – everything related to the horse world.  If you have a brochure, leave a couple of extras so people can take them with them when they leave the tack shop.

Be visible

Be out in your community so people know who you are. Go to horse shows, attend award ceremonies, go out with other trainers to lunch or dinner. If you ride, go on trail rides, compete at horse shows, and connect with other horse owners.  Even if you only have a few clients, ask them who they know that wants to buy a horse or get their horse trained to sell or show.

Get a website

Get a professional to design a great website and take professional photographs of your farm, paddocks and pastures, riding trails, barns, indoor and outdoor arenas.  The website needs to include pictures of the barn owners and staff that train horses, their background and education.  It should also include pictures of sale horses, horses the trainers ride and horse show results.

Horse shows

Even if you only have a few horses go to shows and take your client’s horses. If you aren’t a trainer, take your trainer with you so the horses win some ribbons and get noticed. Spend time talking with adults and other trainers. Usually there’s someone looking for another barn to go to, their trainer moved or their goals have changed.  Younger kids usually outgrow their ponies and need a larger pony or horse.

Go to “A” level shows and “B” level shows if both are available in your area. “B” shows are generally for younger kids and teenagers who can’t afford the more expensive shows or anyone just starting to go to horse shows. They usually act as a stepping stone to the more competitive “A” shows.

Other equine professionals

Talk your veterinarian, hay dealer, farrier, other trainers and riders. Let them know you’re looking for new horses to train. News travels fast and word of mouth is great advertising, too.

Does the level of care match your horse’s preferred lifestyle?  

After all these years, you have a pretty clear notion of your horse’s needs. He may prefer to be outside all the time and get restless or sluggish if stuck in a stall. He may love being part of a herd in a large pasture. Your mare, on the other hand, could prefer sharing a small paddock and a stall at night. She may hate ponies. Identify the circumstances where your horse seems most relaxed and content, and search for a similar place.

Would you be content if your horse were in the same condition as the other horses at the place?

Older horses need the basics: good nutrition, adequate shelter, enough acreage, congenial social arrangements and preventive and attentive health care. When checking out a facility, look at the horses first. The horses don’t need to look sleek and shiny but if they’re bony and irritable and live in muck and mess, look for another farm. Keep in mind though, if most of the horses are over 20, they’ll have age-related physical changes that can be confused with signs of ill health or underfeeding.

How will you be involved in decisions regarding your horse’s care?

If you don’t have your own farm and don’t want to rent a pasture and/or stall and take care of your horse, then you’ll need to find a place that’ll meet your expectations. Make sure the boarding contract clearly delineates who is responsible for routine and emergency care. Some farms charge extra for anything beyond routine care; other farms include everything in the monthly board agreement. 

If you live close by, you can check on your horse once a month or so. However, if your horse is located in another state or the distance is too great to visit often, ask for a regular monthly report, including photographs or video.

Is expertise available to ensure your horse a good quality of life?

Ask about vet care, dental care and regular hoof care, especially if your horse has chronic problems with founder, navicular disease or other conditions. Find out if there’s staff available for regular grooming, putting on  blankets, wraps, clipping, for medicating and handling the horse when the vet and farrier are at the farm.  

The special bond that forms between horse and rider over years of partnership usually compels owners to make sure their horse spend their last years at a comfortable farm. Your older horse might not need a fancy farm, but before you place him anywhere, make sure his needs will be met. Then, hopefully you’ll be relaxed and able to let your horse move on to a different home.

Rose scoffing feed post clip and bath.

The property where I graze Rose has four large paddocks, one small paddock, and access to a middle-sized portion of the neighbours’ land fenced off by their drive. They have one other mare about Rose’s size (Rose is just over 15.3hh), two cows, and a small flock of sheep. Before Rose came along a number of months ago, her new paddock mate had grazed with a small pony. They cut their own hay, and had sold of quite a bit of it, as I understand, as the two horses and two cows didn’t eat too much. Rose, however, eats a lot of hay! When living on my parent’s property, which is just over 5 acres including the house, drive, 2 garages, lawn and garden, 4-stall stable and yards, large sand arena (20×60? I think?), bedding pit, and about 2.5 acres of native bush, horses are stabled by night and turned out by day as there just isn’t enough grass for three (Rose’s eldest two children Delphi and Comet live at home). So they are fed a lot of hay! So much, in fact, that the contractor we often buy it from has expressed his doubt that we can use that much, and worrys that we are reselling it!
Anyway, over the winter, the grass got pretty low (I don’t think they’d fully anticipated how much 2 full-sized horses eat, compared with a horse and pony, especially when one of the horses is quite the piglet!) and they ran out of hay. I tried to get out there are often as possible to hard feed Rose, but in the terrible winter weather, having only a scooter to ride on, it wasn’t quite as often as it ideally would have been. As a result, Rose started to lose weight and got a bit ribby and a bit bony. My family firmly believes in keeping horses nice and plump and round (we don’t like to be able to feel ribs without having to push all the fat aside :P) and Rose, when in prime condition, is typically very ‘solid’ as judges have sometimes put it (I usually just say she’s fat…). At the time I was feeding her Mitavite Gumnuts and lucerne chaff, with some soaked copra meal along with her supplements (tonnes of garlic powder the boost her immune system, salt, vitamin powder, magnesium powder, chaste tree berry extract for her Cushings, apple cider vinegar which is supposed to be good for Cushings too though I’m not 100% on why, and selenium once a week).
Since she is barefoot, my mom and I moved her to the neighbours’ paddock which is too boggy for her paddock mate’s shod feet, and I started feeding her giant feeds as I could now leave it sitting in the paddock with her and she could take her sweet time chowing down.
Then, I took my parents to the airport and sent them on their way to Kentucky to see the World Equestrian Games, and then on to Canada to visit their families, and I had the use of the car. The first thing I did, after a bit of online research, was drive out to the feed store and have a good look around. In the end what I bought was:
–Fibre Fresh ‘Fibre Ezy’ which is a chaffage with alfalfa and rye and contains 1% or less sugar. Sugar content in feed is important for Cushings horses and so I wanted to keep it as low as possible. Also, the lusher grass in the new paddock hadn’t been agreeing with her entirely, if you know what I mean, so I wanted to get a whole bunch more fibre in there. Also again, alfalfa (and lucerne) are considered to be the grasses with the highest energy content which was in line with me wanting to fatten her up.
– More Mitavite ‘Gumnuts’ which are an extruded feed (good for old lady tummies that can’t digest grain) containing mainly barley (good for putting on weight) but with added protexin (probiotics which I have to add to Rose’s feed anyway before each worming to prevent her from colicking… She has a rather tender tummy).
– Nutririce ‘Veteran’ which is an extruded feed made from rice and rice bran. Rice, though not something I would have imagined that I would ever feed my horse, is supposed to be the easiest grain for them to digest and Nutririce is supposed to be very good for horses with stomach ulcers, or those prone to developing them. With Rose’s history of her mystery colic disease, the fact that Cushings makes horses far more prone to developing ulcers, and also that within the last 6-8 months or so she had had a mouth ulcer, I thought this would be a good way to go.
– Copra meal. Because it smells amazing, it’s full of oil to make her nice and fat, she loves the taste, and when I pour the soaked sloppy mess on top of everything else, it starts to soften all the extruded pellets while I add her supplements.
I had intended to buy corn oil also and add that to her feed with her supplements, but I couldn’t find any. And then, amazingly, this new diet worked SO WELL that I felt I didn’t need it anyway. However, now that her weight gain has slowed off a touch, I’m thinking I might get some in the next week or so, just to step it back up a bit.

How I mixed her feed was: a few big handfuls of her leftover lucerne chaff, twice that or a bit more of Fibre Ezy, a feed scoop each of Gumnuts and Nutririce, and a margarine container full of copra, soaked overnight. To that I added a heaped ‘scoop’ (probably about a tb or tb and 1/2) of garlic, a scoop of vitamins, half a scoop of magnesium, a tb of salt, about 60-80ml of apple cider vinegar (she hates the taste so I don’t use heaps), 20 ml of Bomac’s Cushy Life chaste tree berry extract (which smells BIZARRE and AMAZING), and then every Friday I add 2ml of selenium.

The results, I have to say, blew me away. Within 1-2 weeks she looked stunning! Though her topline and hindend still need a bit more padding, there are no ribs to be seen, her neck has filled out to the point of almost looking cresty, the hollows to either side of her withers, which have always been a pain to plump up, are looking plump! It makes me so happy to go out there now, especially now that I have given her a full-body clip and snuggled her into her brand new (super ugly) Snowbee ‘B-tween’ rug, and see her galavanting around like a foolish child, frolicking naked in the sun (when it’s sunny enough to leave her coverless), and scoffing down her feed with gusto! And looking soooo GOOD!

Even with her yucky Cushings coat, Rose now has dapples!

If anyone reading this has any suggestions on how you feed your own Cushing’s horse, or older horse, I would be so keen to hear them!

– C.

Rose. October 8th, 2010. Age 21.

Registered TB Name: Super Crown
Registered Hanoverian Broodmare Name: Domina Rosa xx
Born: 11/11/1988
Breed: Thoroughbred
Colour: Black, no markings
Sire: Super Roo (NZ) 1981             Dam: Crown Reine (NZ) 1972
Breeder: Miss S G Godfrey
Progeny: Das Geschenk (Delphi) 2005, Donnerkind (Comet) 2007, an unnamed filly (I call her Tulip) 2009.

Rose AKA The Mad Cow is a silly, energetic, wildly enthusiastic lunatic. She is loving and affectionate, adores praise and treats (especially Oddfellows mints), kisses and cuddles. She loves her feed (though she is a painfully slow eater), she is intolerant of her children (though she was a good mother – and they love her! Soooo very much!), and likes to do whatever she wants, whenever she wants to do it. On the ground she can be pushy and inconsiderate when she wants to be, but docile and attentive if there’s nothing else interesting going on. In the saddle she has been known to pull, buck, rear, kick, and generally charge around like a maniac. But she has also won many champion classes in the show ring with her sleek black beauty, her youthful and expressive face, her smooth paces, and her ‘look at me RIGHT NOW!’ attitude. In addition, I have won many rider classes – sometimes for proper form, good aides, good seat, good legs, good hands; more often than not for the whispered comment ‘I can’t believe you manage to stay on her!’
She has certainly been a trial. She was bought for me when she was 10 and I was 11 (there are only 17 days between our birthdays) and within months she had broken my arm and torn the ligaments in my ankle by tossing me down a hill at home. She stamps on feet and throws her head around with no regard for those in range. She has knocked my sister unconscious, thrown me into so many show hunter fences at a show one summer in 4th form that I ended up with a 2 year migraine and a need for corrective chiropracty that continues to this day. She has taught me that things don’t go as planned, and you just have to deal with that and laugh it off.
Rose’s enthusiasm for life has certainly served her well. We bought her from a farrier who had received her as payment for a bad debt, and proceeded to neglect her rather horribly. But when we turned up with our float, she charged on board without a care in the world – eager for her new home and her new life.
In the year she was pregnant with her first foal (she was 18) she spent a long time trying to lie down and die from one of the worst colics I have heard of, and of which we have never been able to ascertain the cause. The vets believe that she had eaten something horribly toxic at the stud that had stripped the lining of about half her small intestine. She had massive edema and had to be put in intensive care at the nearby equine hospital, and then kept on 24 hour watch for about 2 weeks at home. Amazingly, she pulled through (there was no way we were letting her lie down and die, as she was so heartbreakingly desperate to do every night at about 2 am, especially considering the thousands of dollars we were spending to keep her alive) and against all odds managed to carry her unborn daughter Delphi (named after the immortal oracle) throughout the ordeal and give birth to a healthy, happy, cheeky little minx of a filly.
It also served her well when she was leased by the stud so that they too could have one of her stunning foals (the third) and they proceeded to starve her half to death, while pregnant and while nursing. She got as bad as about a 2 on the Henneke Scale, despite us going out whenever possible to give her feeds (it was unfortunately not as often as necessary as I do not own a car), and ultimately we were forced to intervene and ‘steal’ her back when the foal was barely 4 months old. It makes me so sad to hear people talk of the poor filly we left behind as an amazing occurrence (a pony Hanoverian! How rare!), when the reason for its small form was gross malnutrition during gestation and early development.
It was heartbreaking for me when we had finally gotten her back in shape, and I had begun grazing her out and riding her again, and everything seemed to be going so well, when she was recently diagnosed with Cushings Disease. At the time I thought it meant that she was on her way out, but I now know that it is a manageable syndrome. She was certainly feeling her age a short time ago, when grass was low and the place she grazes at had run out of hay. She now has the characteristic thick, curly, very long coat that comes with Cushings and it continued to grow and grow despite us rugging her heavily throughout the winter. She was hot and sweated terribly and was generally feeling rundown and unhappy. After a full body clip, a new diet targeted to give her everything she needs and nothing her body won’t be able to deal with, a bath, a brand new mid-season cover, and treatment for the mud fever she developed under her unbelievably long leg hair, Rose has a new lease on life. She is once again running around like a silly child, screaming and charging about like a idiot when her new paddock mate is out of sight, and throwing herself into life whole-heartedly. I plan to bring her back into work (a rather daunting task, given how irrepressibly silly and hyper she can be) and start showing again in the show ring, and if all goes to plan, in show hunter!

– C.

Meadow Vespers will try to continue his run of success in the Sire Stakes Older Male division at Pinnacle Race Course.

Through all the uncertainty and changes Michigan’s racing industry has faced over the last four years, one thing has remained consistent – Meadow Vespers is money in the Sire Stakes.

Beginning with the 2005 three-year-old Sire Stakes at Great Lakes Downs, Meadow Vespers has found the winner’s circle a perfect four straight years. He will attempt to cap a half decade of dominance in Saturday’s $50,000 Sire Stakes for older males at Pinnacle Race Course.

Meadow Vespers enters the 1 1/8 mile Sire Stakes off a third place finish in the Sep. 12 Frontier Handicap at Pinnacle, where his usual last-to-first theatrics were stalled by traffic problems. The seven-year-old Meadow Prayer gelding has not finished off the board during his 2009 campaign, including a win in the Aug. 15 Michigan Breeders Cup Handicap. Meadow Vespers is owned by J. Mack Enterprise Inc. and trained by Richard Rettele. J.J. Delgado will have the assignment on Saturday.

The older males division features another winner from last year’s Sire Stakes, three-year-old division champion Bipolar Express. The four-year-old Equality gelding has spent most of his 2009 campaign at Presque Isle Downs, most recently coming off a fourth place finish  in a Sep. 3 claiming race at the Erie, Pennsylvania track. Bipolar Express is owned Winning Stables, Inc and trained by Gerald Bennett, who claimed the horse back in his last start for $35,000 after losing his charge in the preceding race for a $25,000 tag. T.D. Houghton will have the mount in Saturday’s race.

Another road-tested Michigan-bred returning home for the Sire Stakes is Demagoguery. The seven-year-old Demaloot Demashoot gelding has entered the gates at four different tracks during his 2009 campaign, including Tampa Bay Downs, Thistledown, Presque Isle Downs and a runner-up finish in the July 4 Wolverine Handicap in his lone start at Pinnacle Race Course. He comes into the Sire Stakes off a second place finish in a Sep. 12 allowance race at Thistledown. Demagoguery is owned by Mary Mazur and trained by Gerald Bennett. Godofredo Laurente will get the leg up.

#. Horse / Jockey / Trainer / Odds

1. Hot Chili / F Mata / J R Jackson / 6-1
2. Mt. Factor / A Ortiz / R J Rettele / 20-1
3. Meadow Vespers / J J Delgado / R J Rettele / 8-5
4. Bipolar Express / T D Houghton / G S Bennett / 2-1
5. Buscando Fortuna / A O Stanley / R M Gorham / 15-1
6. My First Buck / J Skerrett / R M Gorham / 15-1
7. Demagoguery / G Laurente / G S Bennett / 8-1
8. Rhythm In Motion / A A Marin / J R Jackson / 20-1

Valley Loot aims at third consecutive Sire Stakes win in Older Female division

Valley Loot will make a bid for her third straight Horse of the Year honors in the Older Females division of the Sire Stakes at Pinnacle Race Course.

Not to be outdone by Meadow Vespers’ streak, Valley Loot has staged her own run of two Sire Stakes wins. While she has a long way to go to catch up to her rival, Valley Loot has a big streak of her own, as the two-time defending Horse of the Year.

Valley Loot will look to extend both streaks to a third year in Saturday’s $50,000 Sire Stakes, a 1 1/8 mile race for older females at Pinnacle Race Course.

Though Valley Loot notched a stakes win in the June 16 Golden Sylvia Handicap at Mountaineer and ran a respectable third in the July 25 Winward Stakes at Presque Isle Downs, she has yet to show her usual dominant form at Pinnacle. The five-year-old Demaloot Demashoot mare enters the Sire Stakes off a heartbreaking loss to three-year-old Moon Charmer in the final strides of the Sep. 12 Farer Belle Lee Handicap, and has yet to win a race at the Detroit racetrack this year. Federico Mata will ride Valley Loot for owner Lisa Campbell and trainer Ronald Allen, Sr.

Campbell and Allen will also send Wave Pool, another Sire Stakes winner, to the post on Saturday. The four-year-old Sea Legs filly won the sophomore fillies division of the Sire Stakes in 2008. She enters this year’s older females contest off a fourth place finish in the Farer Belle Lee Handicap. Wave Pool will be ridden by Jeffrey Skerrett.

The wild card in the race will be Clever Idea, who makes her first start since Nov. 1 of last year. The four-year-old Matchlite filly finished second that day to fellow Sire Stakes entrant Nell’s Enjoyment in an allowance race at Pinnacle. During her three-year-old campaign, Clever Idea was one of the top fillies in her class, with a win in the Michigan Oaks and a runner-up effort in the Sire Stakes. Dave Kueffner trains Clever Idea for owner Steve Prain. J.J. Delgado will have the assignment on Saturday.

#. Horse / Jockey / Trainer / Odds

1. Glory Bea / W Ortiz / J A Lewis / 20-1
2. She Could Be Good / T D Houghton / R M Gorham / 12-1
3. Valley Loot / F Mata / R D Allen, Sr. / 6-5
4. Half A Glance / M E Doser / S Sowle / 15-1
5. Guns and Giggles / A Ortiz / J C Rupert / 10-1
6. Wave Pool / J Skerrett / R D Allen, Sr. / 9-2
7. Clever Idea / J J Delgado / D Kueffner / 4-1
8. Nell’s Enjoyment / A A Marin / S M Spiess / 20-1
9.  Stellar Star / A O Stanley / D Cluley / 20-1

Usually the First question we are asked, is “What do you do?” hence the name of my Blog. This is all of “What Debra does…”

Well……. like allot of You, I have been doing allot lately. Here are two Beloved English Mastiffs, I just finsihed and sent off to my Client. I Needle Felted these two boys. Both of these Wonderful Dogs have passed on, so this work I did for her was especially meaningful for me to work on. They came out nice and she Loved them both. Their names are Stryker, I made him sitting & Stone, he is a Brindle English Mastiff and he was made standing.

I did allot of shading using the soft wool. I really tried for a realistic likeness of each dog. oh hey…….take a LOOK at “Pismo” on the chair with Stryker, he has gotten really BIG! scroll down you can see his baby, baby picture on one of my first Blog writings. “Pismo”" is now 18 week old. He was 7 weeks in the bottom Blog photo.

Both of these are going to be a Christmas gift, for the owner of the dogs. My Client was so kind to get them such a thoughtful and meaningful Gift. I had allot of fun working on these. I wanted to capture each and every detail to Honor them and do them both Justice.

Many Soft Nickers,

Debra

www.GrandHorse.com

www.olderhorses.com

www.sculpturesinsoap.com

Usually the First question we are asked, is “What do you do?” hence the name of my Blog. This is all of “What Debra does…”

Well, this is One thing I “did” that has left me with the BEST of memories and is the Inspiration for my Artwork, my sculpting and all of the directions I have gone in with my work.  My heartfelt “hobby” website of www.olderhorses.com . Its my little place of “Heaven on Earth” where the NICEST people are on my Bulletin board sharing their stores and lives of their aging horses. If you have an Older Horse, check out my website and sign in. I would enjoy reading and learning about Your horses.

Here is My beloved boy. He was my first Horse, I called him my First born. He was my First Horse, as when I bought him, was the First time I could afford a Horse.

On Show Day

 Here we are on Show day. It was  Big deal back then for us both.

Nissa & Dallas

Here is Nissa, she was a Young Girl who half leased Dallas, many years after I bought him. It was good for him, to get out more. I captured this moment between them at a Horse Show they were riding in.

After Showing, and going back to everyday, horse ownership. Here is is in the turnout arena. I always wrapped his legs, hoping he would RUN & KICK UP his heels and give me a show. Nope…….this is what I got. Here he is pondering his life. He still made me smile!

Every WInter, when he would get his Long & Fuzzy catepillar coat, I would shave a Heart onto his leg. I also taught him to bow. Here he is Bowing (to get a treat) with his heart. He is now gone, but his Inpiration to me, has now helped others, with my Bulletin board on www.olderhorses.com

This is just some of what I have done…….

Many Soft Nickers,

Debra

My Mom always says to me…….”You are so Talented”, so here you go, my “Talents” aka my Original Artwork.

30" x 48" Oil on Canvas Featured in Horses in Art Magazine

My Original Artwork, Sculptures and more are Inspired by my Love of Dogs and Horses. I bring People into the Life of the Horse. Everyday moments shared between the horse and their owner. These moments missed by others. You can see my Origianl Artwork and Handmade designs from Childrens Clothing, Pony Pillows and more at my website: www.GrandHorse.com

Below is my Handmade Needle Felted Labrador Retriever, just one of Many “Fuzz Pets” I have handscultped from soft raw wool.

"Fuzz Pet" Needle Felted 3D Sculpture

My other websites include:

www.olderhorses.com  ~ Honoring the Aging Horse

www.sculpturesinsoap.com   ~ Original Soap & Candle Silicone Molds

www.GrandHorse.com   ~  Handmade Pony Pillows, Childrens Clothing, Original Artwork and more…….

Think of your granddad, a wisened ol’ fella with a twinkle in his eye. Then imagine his frustration when his young spirit has to wait for stiff joints and the aches and pains of old age and you have my 24 year old horse, Brin.

Brin and I have been together thirteen years and enjoy the benefits of our long-term relationship with earned understanding and comfortable ease.

Long gone are the days of bolting, rearing and bucking, giving way to a successful career at lower level unaffiliated dressage.

Like your granddad, Brin has had to start taking pills with his meals to aid his mobility.  We have not had to change diet as all his teeth are intact, but he definitely feels the cold more, so I am particular about getting his rugs just right to keep him cosy and comfortable.

As with all older people, I think it’s important to keep up the exercise, warming up the muscles slowly, allowing his stiff joints time to loosen up.  We spend much of our time on hacks and pleasure rides, keeping in the back of our minds the importance of schooling to maintain his suppleness, which helps keep his old body in time with his young heart.