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We are looking for riders or teams for this fundraiser for Essex County Trail Association! We can pair up riders, cyclists, runners and kayakers in need of a team.

 

When :02 Jun 2012, 10:30 AM - 4:00 PM

 

Location: Bradley Palmer Park

 

For more details: http://ecta27.camp7.org/events?eventId=361957&EventViewMode=EventDetails

 

Check out this great helmet cam footage from Carolyn Drover, Area 1 native. This is from Spring Bay Horse Trials, April 8, 2012 in Lexington, KY.

Click here!

Visit Carolyn's blog: blog is: http://cdeventing.wordpress.com/

 

For most if not all owners, breeding a mare and bringing a foal to term is a huge emotional and financial investment, not to be taken lightly. The culmination of all of the work and planning along the way will hopefully be a healthy newborn foal and a healthy dam. The final act of foaling itself is surely one of the most anxiety-inducing events for the owner, and being familiar with the process ahead of time is critical. Entire books are written on the subject of parturition alone, and this summary article will not come close to covering all of the veterinary knowledge on the subject. For those with little experience, it is highly advisable to have a veterinarian present or nearby for foaling.

 

Late gestation

About 4-6 weeks before the due date, the owner should move the mare to a nearby, ideal foaling area. If suitable pasture is available, which is well drained, not overly packed with other horses, and offers protection from inclement weather (i.e. sheds or trees), this will work. In colder regions of the country, it would be a good idea to house mares overnight and during rainy or cold weather in a well-ventilated barn with clean, freshly bedded stalls.

 

Moving mares to the foaling area ahead of time serves multiple purposes. This includes (1) acclimating the mare to the area in which she will foal, (2) exposing her to the natural organisms present in the foaling area (allowing her develop antibodies to any infectious organisms), and (3) making the mare more accessible for frequent monitoring as she comes closer to term.

 

The mare’s udder should be cleaned before foaling, and if her vulva has been sutured closed (Caslick's) it should be opened. If the mare is intended to foal indoors, she should be placed in a 14 ft x 14 ft large stall that has been cleaned and is well-bedded and ventilated. The mare can be turned out during the day in a small paddock or pasture in good weather.

 

In the month before foaling, the mare should be evaluated on a very frequent basis for physical changes that reveal that she is near term. These physical changes include (1) the development of laxity and edema of the vulva, (2) scanty vulvar discharges, (3) relaxation of pelvic ligaments, (4) enlargement of the udder, and (5) an increase in mammary secretions. As the time of foaling nears (i.e. over the last month) the mare’s mammary tissue will become enlarged, most noticeably in the final 2 weeks. The udder usually becomes engorged with milk in the few days before foaling. A waxy secretion accumulates on the ends of the mare’s teats (waxing of the teat ends) 1-4 days before the mare gives birth. Occasionally, this happens as early as 2 weeks before foaling, or it may not happen at all. Waxing of the teat ends is a result of early colostrum formation.

 

The mare’s mammary secretions should be monitored closely leading up to the expected foaling date. The secretions change from thin yellow fluid to milky white fluid, and ultimately to thick yellow to orange fluid as the colostrum forms. Not all mares will have yellow colostrum (i.e. some will have white colostrum), however, a recent study indicated that yellow, viscous colostrum tended to contain significantly more IgG (immunoglobulin) than white, thin colostrum. Leading up to the predicted foaling date, the mare’s udder secretions can be monitored for calcium content as well. There are multiple products available (i.e. the Predict-A-Foal Test Mare Foaling Predictor Kit from Animal Health Care Products) that allow the owner to monitor the calcium content of the mare’s mammary secretions. As the time of foaling nears, the calcium content increases dramatically. The level of calcium is highly correlated with the onset of parturition.

 

In the late stages of pregnancy, the fetus is positioned in a ventral (belly down) or ventrolateral (belly down and turned slightly to the side) position, and the head and forelimbs are both flexed

 

Parturition

There are three distinct phases of parturition, which actually overlap to form a continuous process. Understanding the three stages and the appropriate length of each is imperative for the expectant owner.

 

The first stage (also called the preparatory phase) usually lasts from 30 minutes to 4 hours. The fetus plays an active role, and the mare’s myometrial (uterine muscle) contractions are actively occurring as well. The mare becomes restless, and acts somewhat like she is colicky, i.e. flank watching, switching her tail, sweating, urinating a small amount multiple times, and going down and standing up again and again. A mare that has foaled previously may not show these signs as dramatically. When a mare enters the first stage of labor, her tail should be wrapped, and the area around her vulva should be cleaned. The mare’s uterus is contracting with increasing frequency and strength, and the cervix is beginning to dilate. Late in the first stage of labor, the mare will lie down and roll back and forth, then stand again, which is believed to be critical in helping the fetus to position itself correctly for delivery. If the mare becomes cast in her stall during this process, she should be pulled out of the corner or from the wall to allow her to stand and to keep her from foaling in an area that doesn’t provide her enough room. The contractions of the uterus will push the chorioallantoic membranes with the foal’s muzzle and fore feet through the cervix. Nothing can be seen coming out of the mare at this point.

 

The second stage of labor begins when the chorioallantois ruptures, causing the mare’s “water to break”, with several gallons of allantoic fluid coming out of the vulva. The cervix is fully dilated, and the fetus passes into the birthing canal (pelvic inlet). Once the fetus is in the pelvic inlet, the mare begins to have abdominal contractions. A hormone, oxytocin, is released from the posterior pituitary gland, which encourages uterine contraction to continue. The mare will lie down on her side and push forcefully several times in active labor.   About 5 minutes after the chorioallantois ruptures (the water breaks), the amnion should be seen coming out of the vulva. The amnion is a white somewhat clear, glistening membrane, through which the fetus can be seen.

 

 

http://www.ansci.wisc.edu/jjp1/webcam/reno_data.htm

 

Usually one foot will be seen first, followed by the other, and then followed by the foal’s muzzle. The amnion usually ruptures on its own when the mare passes the foal’s shoulders. If it does not rupture, some veterinarians will prefer to quietly enter the stall and tear open the membrane to allow the foal to breath. The mare may take a 20 minute break after passing the foal’s hips through the pelvic inlet, before she rises to complete the process. Stage two of labor is concluded when the foal is born, usually 20 minutes (up to 30 minutes) in total. If the foal’s amnion has ruptured, and the foal is breathing regularly and can get itself into sternal position (belly down and head up), then the mare and foal should not be disturbed, and the umbilical cord can be left intact, resulting in maximal transfer of blood from the mare’s placenta to her newborn foal. Often, it will rupture naturally when the mare or the foal stands, however, it can also be separated manually if needed (cutting is not recommended as it can result in hemorrhage or a patent urachus.) Unnecessary human disturbances should definitely be avoided, to prevent disruption of the natural bond between dam and foal.

 

If the water does not break, and the mare passes a “Red bag”, this is an emergency! The red bag should be ruptured immediately by the veterinarian (or owner if none is present), because this indicates that the placenta is separating from the mare’s uterus (endometrium), i.e. premature separation of the placenta, which cuts off oxygen supply to the fetus.

 

 

 

If the second stage of labor is prolonged (over 20-30 minutes from the water breaking to the delivery of the foal) or if progress stops occurring, it is critical to assess fetal positioning and posture immediately. Fetal malpositioning is the most common problem in delivery, and must be corrected for the foal to be delivered successfully. If your veterinarian is not already present, you should ask him or her to come to the farm immediately to assist in a potential dystocia. The goal will be to repel the fetus and return it to normal presentation, position, and posture so that delivery can be accomplished.

 

The third stage of labor is the passing of the fetal membranes and involution of the mare’s uterus. Just after the mare finishes giving birth, the placenta can be tied to itself (making it shorter), to prevent the mare from stepping on it until it is successfully passed. Usually, the mare will expel the placenta within 30 minutes to 3 hours after foaling. If the placenta is not passed after 3 hours, veterinary intervention may be needed to avoid trauma and infection of the uterus. When the placenta has been passed, it should be carefully inspected to ensure that all of its pieces are intact and no parts remain within the mare’s uterus.

 

 

http://www.australianwesternhorseshowcase.com.au/Features/medical/PREFOALINGCARE.htm

 

It is best to be safe rather than sorry, and contact your veterinarian for assistance if at any point you have concerns that parturition is not going smoothly or as expected.

 

If your mare is expecting a foal and/or you have any questions about this topic, please contact your veterinarian or the veterinarian's at New England Equine for further assistance.

 

Taryn Gervais, DVM

Jacqueline Bartol, DVM, DACVIM

 

 

 

Resources:

 

Blanchard, Terry, et al. “Management of the Pregnant Mare.” Manual of Equine Reproduction, 2^nd Edition. St. Louis: Mosby, 2003. 99-105. Print.

 

Spensley, Michael and Mats Troedsson. “Dystocia.” Large Animal Internal Medicine, 3^rd Edition. Ed. Bradford P. Smith. St. Louis: Mosby, 2001. 224-226. Print.

 

 

 

By Nancy Wesolek-Sterrett
Dressage Department Head, Meredith Manor International Equestrian Centre

A graduate came to me recently with a question about releasing a horse over a jump. She took a jumping lesson with a potential employer as part of her interview. The woman’s preferred way of releasing was different from the one the graduate mastered as she earned her certification. Was there a ‘right way’ or ‘wrong way’ to release over jumps, she wanted to know?

 

From the perspective of the Riding Tree’s progressive skill levels, releasing a horse over a jump is a simple matter of rhythmically riding a relaxed horse with what I call ‘connection.’ Connection is a circle of energy flowing from the horse’s contracted abdominal muscles, through thrusting hind limbs, over a lifted back, into the bit and, finally, connecting to the rider’s hands. When they are connected, horse and rider approach, jump and land over a fence smoothly and effortlessly.

 

Developing the skills necessary to create this connection from a rider’s driving leg aids into a firm but following hand is not such a simple matter, however. It takes hours of dedicated riding to master the needed skills of rhythm, relaxation, balance and an ability to follow the horse’s motion. Instructors also have to consider where the horse is in its training. Riding schools commonly have a valued packer or two in their string that are athletic enough to take good jumps despite beginners’ mistakes. But most horse and rider combinations are somewhere along a spectrum from beginning to competent.

 

Over time, instructors have resolved this dilemma by teaching their students different ways to release the head and neck as the horse rises at the base of a jumps and begins arcing over it. Their goal is to get riders without full mastery of balance safely over the jump while allowing the horse freedom to arc its head and neck over the jump and land without getting jabbed in the mouth. So, my answer to the graduate was there is not necessarily a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to release a horse over a jump. The answer depends on where the rider and the horse are in their progression of skills. (Keep in mind, I am discussing the correlation between riding skill levels and release techniques, rather than what style may be currently popular in the show ring.)

 

The three basic releases are:

a long crest release with hands held against the crest about halfway up the neck so that the rider can steady the hands against the crest; a short crest release with the rider steadied by hands held against the horse’s crest close to the saddle; and an automatic release where the rider maintains steady contact with the bit while following the contraction and extension of the horse’s head and neck through takeoff, arc and landing with flexible elbow and shoulder joints.

In order to decide which release is appropriate for a given horse and rider combination at a given time, look at the whole picture. A rider’s balance is the first consideration. Riders who lack balance often fall forward or back as the horse jumps and lands, throwing the horse off stride. They often use their reins and the bit connection to help their balance. The goal is to balance all of the rider’s weight from the belly button back over the middle of the saddle without the need to steady the hands on the horse’s neck. Hips, knees, and ankles must be relaxed and flexible so that they can close as the horse arcs over the jump and open as the horse lands. If a rider pinches with their knees, grips with their calves or lock their ankles, their balance still needs work. They need to use a long or short crest release for support until their balance improves and their seat becomes more independent.

 

Once students can ride in a two-point position on the flat with relaxed joints, maintaining their weight over the center of the saddle without any support from their hands, they are no longer depending on their hands or reins for balance. They may be ready to move on to an automatic release, depending on their horse’s readiness.

 

In in automatic release, riders support all of their weight over the middle of the saddle. While their hands maintain a firm, steady contact with the bit, their shoulders and elbows close, open and close again as they follow the motion of their horse’s head and neck from takeoff to landing. Not every rider is capable of an automatic release without balancing on the horse’s mouth.

 

The horse is the other part of the equation when choosing an appropriate release. Before the rider can use an automatic release, the horse must be capable of the ‘connection’ I talked about earlier. In order for the horse to follow the rider’s hand over a fence, he must be able to accept the rider’s leg aids, lift and round his back, accept steady contact with the bit, and follow the rider’s hand to stretch or collect on the flat.

 

Just as the horse learns lead changes in stages—changing first through the trot, then performing simple changes through the walk, and finally flying changes—the horse learns connection in stages. If a young horse is still fussing about bit contact or hollowing its back when approaching a jump, the rider may need to give with the hands to encourage the horse. Until a young horse gains confidence, even a rider capable of automatic release may ride with a crest release to ensure the horse stays round and has a good jumping experience.

 

Each release has its place. Each release can be done correctly or incorrectly. Using a crest release does not mean placing all your weight on the horse’s neck. That’s a sure way to land on the ground in front of the horse if he refuses a jump or lands awkwardly. Crest releases are a way to steady hands and stay out of the horse’s mouth, not a substitute for poor balance. Riders who try to progress to an automatic release before they are fully capable as riders can wind up balancing on their reins as badly as beginners. If students are eager to jump and eager to master an automatic release, keep reminding them that all good training occurs in steps and requires balance.
___________

© 2012 Meredith Manor International Equestrian Centre. Nancy Wesolek-Sterrett has earned numerous United States Dressage Federation horse awards including Bronze and Silver Medals on horses she has trained. She competes her horses at Training through FEI levels. As a Certified Riding Instructor she brings over 20 years of experience to her position as Head of the Dressage Department at Meredith Manor International Equestrian Centre (147 Saddle Lane, Waverly, WV 26184; 800-679-2603; www.meredithmanor.com), an ACCET accredited equestrian educational institution.

By Nancy Wesolek-Sterrett
Dressage Department Head, Meredith Manor International Equestrian Centre


Distracted driving causes injuries. The National Highway and Transportation Safety Administration reports that 20 percent of vehicle accidents in 2009 involved distracted driving. A government-sponsored study of commercial drivers found texting created a 23 times greater risk of a crash.  The Centers for Disease Control defines three types of distraction:

Visual – taking your eyes off the road,
Manual—taking your hands off the wheel, and
Cognitive—taking your mind off what you are doing.
What has this got to do with horses?  Whether or not you are guilty of all three distractions because you answered your phone while riding, I observe riders allowing distractions of one sort or another to interrupt their relationship with their horse all the time. Think back to the last time you had any horse-related injury, large or small. You will probably recognize that distraction was in play.

Everything we do with horses depends on our ability to keep our attention on our horse and to continually bring it back when it wanders. Distracted riding makes us more accident prone for the same reasons distracted driving makes car drivers more accident prone. When you are with a horse, you must be with him proactively, paying attention moment to moment as you are working with him from the ground, paying attention stride to stride while you are riding. Faith Meredith tells her students to take anything on their mind when they come into the arena and leave in it a corner. They can pick it up again on their way out. But while they are there, they must be 100 percent with their horse.

When you are with a horse, you must constantly monitor his:

Emotional feel that day, in that situation, in that moment,
Energy level that day, in that situation, in that moment, and
Attention level that day, in that situation, in that moment.
You start by assessing the horse’s body language from the moment you open the stall door and you continue monitoring his feel and energy and attention level until the moment you put him away. You pay close attention to the horses’ body language, his general attitude, and his response to you. And you stay aware that, from his side of the encounter, the horse is paying close attention to your body language, your voice, your touch, and whether you are fully present with him or out to lunch visually, manually or cognitively. Ron Meredith calls this being with your horse stride by stride and teaches ‘heeding,’ a method of groundwork that helps students be with their horses moment to moment.

I remind my students that when they first encounter a horse, he immediately categorizes you as lion or lamb. Do you walk into the stall timidly or aggressively? Are you confident and calm? How does the horse react to whatever you are projecting? Does he pin his ears or turn his hindquarter toward you? Does he turn to face you? Does he come forward calmly to greet you? Does he run to the back of his stall or hide in a corner?

While you are with your horse, you need to be directing the horse at all times. You must proactively direct a behavior or action you do not want BEFORE it starts rather than defensively reacting after it happens. If your inattention allowed the horse to take a stride you did not intend or misbehave in some way, ‘correcting’ or ‘punishing’ the horse after the fact is a defensive tactic. It may make YOU feel like you are ‘doing’ something to teach the horse. From the horse’s standpoint, however, it only makes you an aggressive lion. In his mind, your inattention simply allowed an opening that he went through, just as he might when dealing with horse herd dynamics. He did something horse- logical to him and your ‘correction’ is a meaningless reaction. Far from gaining the horse’s respect, you just get filed in the ‘unpredictable crazy person, not to be trusted’ category.

Depending on their personality or mood of the day, some horses are more or less demanding of your attention. The other day, a friend entered the arena while I was riding a spooky seven-year-old. The mare is not really all that nervous but, when she was younger, she learned that spooking got her out of work. As my friend passed through the opening, the mare shied halfway across the arena. It was not the time to say hello my friend in any way. I kept my attention on the mare and put her right back to work by riding her forward from my leg to my hand for five minutes or so before I said hello to my friend. Even then, the minute I said hello, the mare ignored me again. So I worked on keeping her rhythm in the gait and keeping a forward connection. She demands my full attention stride by stride.  

When a horse like a goldie oldie is less demanding of your attention, that does not let you off the hook. We have some reliable school horses like this that will start testing their rider as much as 20 strides before they will try to pull something. An aware rider picks up on their tiny signals and reminds them of the task at hand. You can almost hear them saying to the oblivious rider, “Did you see that? How about this? Notice what I’m doing now?” When there is no response from the rider, then they duck across the arena to get closer to one of their buddies, or change the gait without being asked, or do whatever they would like to do because they know their rider’s attention is somewhere else and they can get away with their antics.

You must keep your attention on your horse at every moment whether you are grooming him in his stall, leading him somewhere, or riding. You should pay full attention to ANY horse whenever you are within one of his ‘strike’ zones. I remember an incident when a woman was standing in front of a horse’s stall while her friend was inside with the horse. The woman was focused on her conversation with her friend so she was completely taken by surprise when the horse reached forward and bit her on the face. A lot of people know stories about someone kicked by a horse in cross ties when they walked up behind or alongside the horse. If you groom your horse in the stall, do not let him wander as you follow. Take time to get that halter and lead rope so you can control the horse’s movements and stay in the safety zones alongside him as you groom.

Ron Meredith tells a story that epitomizes total concentration on your horse. His training mentor was working a horse on a cow when someone ran over to the arena yelling that the trainer’s house was on FIRE. Ron’s mentor never took his focus off the horse or the task at hand. He never said a word, just kept riding as though he had not heard the dire news.  Only when he finished and took the horse off the cow did he turn to the man and simply say, “Call the fire department.”

We are all guilty of attention lapses. I can give you a personal example. On an incredibly busy day, I used a headset to do a telephone interview while feeding my horses. Definitely multi-tasking and definitely not 100 percent attention to the task. As I lifted his hay, my stallion grabbed a mouthful and yanked hard, shaking itchy hay bits (lots) down into my shirt. There was no reprimand. He was simply being a horse-logical opportunist. The fault was all mine. I just had to deal with the discomfort until I could get a shower.

This is an example where only my pride was hurt. And it helped inspire this article. But being proactively attentive means being much less accident prone. It also means far better communication between us and our horses. Paying attention, like everything else we do with horses, is a learned skill. The article archives at meredithmanor.edu contain lots more tips on heeding groundwork, safety zones, and riding stride by stride. Start practicing today.   


___________

© 2012 Meredith Manor International Equestrian Centre. Nancy Wesolek-Sterrett has earned numerous United States Dressage Federation horse awards including Bronze and Silver Medals on horses she has trained. She competes her horses at Training through FEI levels. As a Certified Riding Instructor she brings over 20 years of experience to her position as Head of the Dressage Department at Meredith Manor International Equestrian Centre (147 Saddle Lane, Waverly, WV 26184; 800-679-2603; www.meredithmanor.com), an ACCET accredited equestrian educational institution.