Stormy May, a graduate of the United States Pony Club, and professional equine video producer, is dedicated to promoting the harmonious relationship between human and horse through quality riding instruction and educational videos, workshops, and other products.
www.stormymay.com

Horse Mangement Newsletter by Stormy May

Selected articles from HMN's March and April editions! To read the full newsletter, see back issues, or to join the HMN's email list, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HorseManagementNewsletter/

* Note to Canadian Pony Clubbers: Any Pony Club advice given below is based on the US Pony Club Rule book, and should be confirmed with the Canadian Pony Club rule book (available to download on the Canadian Pony Club Website www.canadianponyclub.org), or ask your DC.

Contents
Feature: Demystifying medical terms
Questions and answers: Peacock Safety Stirrups
Rally and rating tips: Stübben Hammanol for leather conditioning
Fun and educational websites

Feature: Demystifying medical terms
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Do you know what's actually wrong with your horse if he has
encephalomyelitis? Don't let the fancy name throw you off. For example, if
you strain something in your arm and the doctor examines it, she might say
gravely "Ahhh, you have tendonitis." It sounds like something that took
years of medical school to be able to diagnose, but basically, she just said
that you have a swollen tendon. (Anything ending in "-itis" means
inflammation.) Another common example in humans is scoliosis. It sounds
like some dreaded disease but if we look at the root word (scoli: crooked,
curved) and the suffix (-osis: abnormal condition) basically the only thing
that the doctor said, is that the person's spine is more curved than normal.
Many of the root words, prefixes, and suffixes used in medical terminology
come from Latin, a language that is no longer in everyday use. It might be
easier to understand if the doctor just said, "You have a swollen tendon, or
a crooked spine." but one of the important reasons that medical
professionals have developed their own language is so doctors from different
countries can come together and all agree to use the same terms for these
conditions and diseases. The important thing is to not let these terms
dazzle or intimidate you.

Now let's have some fun! Here are ten words you might come across when
learning about horses. See if you can use the prefixes, suffixes, and roots
above to figure out exactly what they mean: (Click here for answers!)

rhinopneumonitis
encephalomyelitis
laminitis
arthritis
melanoma
anemia (as in Equine Infectious Anemia or EIA)
enterolith
arteritis (as in Equine Viral Arteritis or EVA)
opthalmia (as in periodic opthalmia or moon blindness)
atrophy

If this topic interests you, find the meanings of many more roots, prefixes
and suffixes at this website:
www.gen.umn.edu/faculty_staff/jensen/1135/medterms/default.html


Questions and answers: Peacock Safety Stirrups
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Hi Stormy,
I have a great question for you. Might be another good question for your
newsletter. On peacock bands, are they supposed to be twisted or not? I
have always put them on without a twist, yet last year as we were preparing
for EBTH one of the C riders said they were supposed to be twisted. A few
weeks later, Katie came off Sugar and got her foot caught, the band not
releasing. Our trainer said it was because it was twisted, which made it
fit tighter on the iron. At the rating last week (Emily rated up and passed
D2, yeah!!!!) this same C was her rater and wanted to twist her peacock
band. I said not to. I make sure they are in good shape and not stretched
out and I told her to leave it alone. The picture in the D manual shows it
without a twist. What's your sage opinion!!??
Laurie Pringle, Sierra Gold PC parent

Hi Laurie,
You're right that is a great question for the newsletter. Congratulations
to Emily on her D2!!! As far as I know, there is no "official" Pony Club
stand on the twist/non-twist issue. It is, however, a subject of great Pony
Club legend. People think that if they were taught one way by a Pony Club
instructor, that must be the Pony Club way. Here are all of my musings on the subject:

First of all, I don't recommend peacock irons as safety stirrups. There are
too many things that the metal nubs or rubber bands can get caught on while
you're riding. Your stirrups are what stick out the most from the horse
when going in tight places, so I don't want stirrups that can get caught on
things. Personally, I have seen boot laces get caught, as well as a rider's
shirt or belt buckle when mounting or dismounting. I have also heard
recently of a Pony Clubber who got the nub caught on a wire fence they were
riding past.

There are two theories about twisting the bands. First of all, if they are
twisted, then things are less likely to get caught in the band (imagine
riding through dense brush). Secondly, if they are twisted, a loose fitting
band can be made to fit more snugly. Band size varies widely, so twisting
may or may not improve the fit of the band.

There are a couple of other concerns that I've heard but have no way of
proving. First, a tack shop owner told me that the bands weren't designed
to release unless the rider is at least 75 pounds. Most of the kids who use
these stirrups are under that weight limit. The second was from a Chief
Horse Management Judge who said that if a rider is over a certain weight,
the stirrup may bend because it only has the one supporting bar. Again,
this is just speculation as far as I know.

If you want to stick with the peacock irons, I would suggest making sure
that the bands fit rather loosely, especially since they didn't release when
Katie came off. Twist or don't twist to make the tension correct. If
you're ready to invest in a safer pair of safety irons I'd suggest the style
with a curved outer bar. There is nothing to get caught or replace. These
are sometimes called "Foot Free" or "Australian style" safety stirrups.
Make sure the stirrup you get is 1" wider than the widest part of the
rider's boot.

Stay safe,
Stormy


Rally and rating tips: Stübben Hammanol for leather conditioning
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At a recent C3 proficiency assessment, Jordan Janis, C2 member of Shasta
Pony club came with an impeccable turn-out for both herself and her horse.
The horse's hooves were oiled, not a speck of dandruff in the jet black mane
or tail, and the tack was the most supple I have ever experienced (and I've
felt a lot of tack). Deer Creek DC, Margie Mooy described it as "buttery
soft." I had to know what Jordan's secret weapon was. Jordan admitted that
she conditioned all her tack on a regular basis with Stübben Hammanol.
That's enough of a recommendation for me! Hammanol is available through the
Dover (www.doversaddlery.com) and many other online and real-life tack
stores.


Fun and educational websites
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Tack of the Day is a cute division of the Bit Of Britain tack company.
Every day during the week they put up a new item at noon at substantial
discount. The best part though are their hilarious descriptions of the
items. The current item for this weekend (available through Monday, May 2nd
at 11:59am Eastern time) are Sigma Competition Full Seat Breeches... only
$44.00!
Log on quick at: www.tackoftheday.com

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www.horseshoes.com - Over 65,000 pages of information dedicated to the art
and science of farriery and hoofcare. An amazing resource.

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Answers to the medical terminology quiz:
rhinopneumonitis: an inflammation of the lungs, nose, and air passages
encephalomyelitis: an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord
laminitis: an inflammation of the laminae
arthritis: the inflammation of a joint
melanoma: a black, benign tumor (commonly found under the tails of grey
horses)
anemia: a condition of having not enough blood (or blood that doesn't carry
nutrients properly)
enterolith: a stone in the intestines
arteritis: an inflammation of the blood vessels (a symptom of EVA is swollen
legs because the horse's blood vessels aren't functioning properly to return
fluids to the heart)
opthalmia: a diseased condition of the eye
atrophy: a condition of not having enough nourishment (a term usually used
when talking about muscles, when they lack nourishment they get smaller, or
"atrophy".)