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
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Horse Mangement Newsletter by
Stormy May
Selected articles from HMN's August and
September 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
1) Feature A Parent's Role During Ratings
2) Products & Services Metronomes for riding
3) Feature Recreational Show Horses at Risk for
Stomach Ulcers
4) Sample Questions for Each Rating Level
Feature: A Parent's Role During Ratings
- by Stormy May
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Pony Club ratings can be stressful for all involved, not least of
all for
the candidates' parents. As a parent, by the time your child makes
it to a
rating, you have already spent countless hours and dollars supporting
your
child in achieving his or her goals.
It is certainly normal parental nature
to want to step in during this
momentous occasion and help "control" the outcome whether
it be by making
sure your B candidate remembers her hairnet, muttering "heels
down" as your
D2 candidate passes you on the rail, or by commiserating with other
parents
about how this examiner must not know good riding when she sees
it.
Last weekend I had the pleasure of meeting
Nancy McKnight at her Oregon
ranch called "Two Dollar Window". Nancy has been an avid
Pony Club
supporter for probably more years than I've even been alive. She
has
cultivated a special knack for pulling together her thoughts and
translating
them into insightful written materials that help enrich her region.
I have
the good fortune to pass on some of these materials now to a wider
audience.
Nancy gave her blessing to use these as I saw fit, so I pass on
the same
liberties to the readers of this newsletter.
Originally, Nancy wrote the following for
parents of candidates taking the
C3 test, but it really applies to all of the ratings.
RATINGS SUPPORT SYSTEM
1. This is your candidate's test! Not yours, not your instructor's
test,
not your club's!
2. This IS a chance to review what part you played in the preparation
of
your candidate, to review quietly from the sidelines, to learn how
strengths
and weaknesses reflect your support, your teaching, your example...HOW
MUCH
INDEPENDENCE DID YOU ALLOW YOUR CANDIDATE TO DEVELOP? WAS THE SUPPORT
YOU
GAVE SUFFICIENT TO PROMOTE TRUE GROWTH? WERE YOU REALISTIC IN HELPING
YOUR
CANDIDATE UNDERSTAND HIS STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES WITHOUT MAKING
A JUDGEMENT CALL ON THE CANDIDATE?
3. BE QUIET and LEARN! Don't judge the candidate - Let the candidate
determine where he stands in comparison to the Standards. Give the
candidate the opportunity to do his own work!!! It is his job to
care for
his horse, bandage as the examiners want, clean his own tack, muck
his
stall, answer the questions and keep order (mentally and physically).
4. The examiners come with a wide experience in viewing the level
of
proficiency within the demands of the Standards. From their view
they must
determine how the candidates in this test meet the standard or do
not meet
the standard with their performance on the day of the rating. They
are not
judging the youngster; but determining how they meet the requirements
of the
test. This should be viewed as a means toward improvement no matter
what
the outcome. The candidates are the same individuals the day of
the rating
and the day after the rating - let's just hope they have a wider
perspective
of the standards after the test.
5. As you watch FROM A DISTANCE be thoughtful in reflecting on your
part in
the process. The test is really quite straight forward - there are
no
tricks and there are no shortcuts. Free Forward Movement (FFM) is
free and
forward, Basic Balanced Position (BBP) is basic and balanced. You
either
know the unmounted requirements or you don't. There is NO place
to hide and
there are no trick questions. Yes, the horse makes a difference,
but
understanding and ability to analyze and accommodate the horse's
performance
will not be overlooked by the examiners. The candidate must have
a plan,
and must be accurate and compassionate in his understanding of his
partner,
the horse. Failure is NOT a part of the picture - complying with
the
requirements is the candidate's goal.
6. Remember that the STANDARD IS THE STANDARD IS THE STANDARD. Look
at the
big picture and don't be caught with the mistake of thinking in
terms of
Pass or Fail. Help your candidate determine where he is and encourage
him
to dream of where he wants to go. Let it truly be his dream without
your
desired demands or expectations inhibiting his true growth.
7. Help provide opportunities to allow candidates to find their
own paths
now and after the rating. Every achievement should open doors to
greater
growth and enlightenment. Horses provide a means to unending chances
for
personal growth.
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Recommended products and services: Metronomes for riding
Yes, I said metronomes ... you know ... the little clicking things
that
musicians use to keep time? Metronomes are a nearly essential tool
to use
if you want to create your own dressage musical freestyle, but even
if
you're just working on improving your horse's rhythm (or your own!)
a
metronome might be a very helpful tool. The smallest practical metronome
that I've seen is one made by Seiko and sold by Dressage Extensions
as well
as many music stores. It clips on to your clothing or saddle and
has
buttons that you can use to control how fast or slow it clicks.
With a
metronome you can finally practice your lengthened canter or trot
and make
sure the horse's rhythm doesn't change. It would also be especially
useful
for helping to develop a young horse's rhythm, or just use it to
help find
music to ride to for fun!
Find it here on the web:
https://store.primediamags.com/shop/equine/viewProduct?pm_id=7225
Thanks to Diane Hoffmann for finding this online!
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The following article was sent out on the USEF newsletter, September
8th, 2005.
New Study Shows Recreational Show Horses at Risk for Stomach
Ulcers
By Rose Raus
New research shows that stomach ulcers
can occur within five days in horses
exposed to recreational show conditions and activities. The study,
reported
in the September 1 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary
Medical
Association (JAVMA), indicated that seven out of 10 horses developed
ulcers
when exposed to normal situations related to weekend show travel.
These
included transportation, twice daily feeding, light exercise and
stall
confinement.
Researchers and veterinarians have historically
associated stomach ulcers
with high-performance or racehorses. This new study shows just how
easily
horses can develop stomach ulcers in association with less-strenuous,
recreational activities such as weekend horseshows or events.
∏The research demonstrated that conditions
representing typical activities
of the recreationally used horse are associated with an increased
incidence
of gastric ulcers within a short time period," said Dr. Scott
McClure, DVM,
PhD, author of the study. "The findings reported should increase
awareness
that gastric ulcers affect a greater population of horses than previously
thought."
The study included a total of 20 horses
determined to be ulcer-free. Ten of
the horses were exposed to conditions over the next five days that
simulated
a weekend horse show. This included four hours of transport to a
secondary
facility, three days of light training (thirty minutes of longeing
twice per
day), twice daily feeding, stall confinement and a four-hour trip
back to
the home facility. The other ten horses remained together in a paddock
at
the home location as a control group. All 20 horses underwent a
second
endoscopy on day five. Results showed that seven out of ten horses
transported off-site had developed stomach ulcers within only five
days.
Furthermore, two of the control horses developed ulcers, possibly
due to the
change in herd dynamics after the first group was transported away.
The research highlights just how easily horses can get stomach ulcers
and
the opportunity for proactive prevention. Until recently, there
was little
horse owners could do to effectively prevent stomach ulcers in their
horses.
But now, ulcers can be prevented with UlcergardTM from Merial. Ulcergard
is
the first and only FDA-approved product scientifically proven to
prevent
stomach ulcers in horses. Available through veterinarians, Ulcergard
is a
once-daily (four daily doses per tube), cinnamon-flavored oral paste
that
prevents ulcers in horses exposed to stressful conditions including,
but not
limited to, confinement, training, travel and competition.
Stormy's note: This article
is of special interest to me because of the
questions and answers that have been coming up on this newsletter
about the
possible link between cribbing and stomach ulcers. The author may
be
promoting a certain ulcer preventing product, but if you feel that
your own
horse may suffer from ulcers, there are many other horse management,
training, and dietary changes you could implement to help this problem
before you'd have to go to expensive drugs. Thanks to April Smith
for
passing this along.
A very good article on equine ulcers, including
symptoms, prevention, and
many different treatments that are being used, from Dressage Today:
www.equisearch.com/horses_care/health/illnesses_injuries/eqhorseulc217/index.html
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Sample Questions for Rating Levels
Stormy's note: Don't forget, there are sample questions for each
rating
level in the back issues of this newsletter. Get them here:
D1 sample questions: May 2004 issue
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HorseManagementNewsletter/message/14
D2 sample questions: April 2004 issue
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HorseManagementNewsletter/message/13
D3 sample questions: March 2004 issue
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HorseManagementNewsletter/message/12
C1 sample questions: February 2004 issue
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HorseManagementNewsletter/message/11
C2 sample questions: January 2004 issue
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HorseManagementNewsletter/message/10
C3 sample questions: December 2003 issue
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HorseManagementNewsletter/message/9
B sample questions: November 2003 issue
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HorseManagementNewsletter/message/8
HA sample questions: October 2003 issue
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HorseManagementNewsletter/message/7
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