Thehorse.com - Full Article
Find out how some simple diet changes might help calm your hyperactive horse.
Posted by Kristen M. Janicki, MS, PAS | May 21, 2018
Some simple diet changes might help calm your hyperactive horse
He’s impossible to catch in the pasture when out with his herdmates. He’s jigging about while you tack him up. And he eyes every blade of grass beside the arena suspiciously, as if one might reach out and grab a fetlock at any moment.
Some might say he’s “feeling his oats,” pointing at nutrition as the cause of his hyperactivity. Could a simple grain change bring this four-legged kite back down to earth? Let’s find out.
Pinpointing the Cause
Many factors can influence a horse’s hyperactivity, including genetic predisposition, experience and learning, management, and nutrition. In most cases multiple factors play a role in this behavior and, without a complete understanding of each, it’s easy to single out nutrition, specifically concentrates, as the main culprit...
Read more here:
https://thehorse.com/19645/whats-all-the-hype-feeding-the-energetic-horse/
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
Sunday, October 28, 2018
Researchers Study Inflammatory Markers in Endurance Horses
Thehorse.com - Full Article
Drs. Allen Page and David Horohov have studied inflammatory markers in racehorses since 2012. This was their first opportunity to measure those markers in nonracehorses,
Posted by University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment | Oct 26, 2018
Much of the research conducted by scientists at the University of Kentucky (UK) Gluck Equine Research Center, in Lexington, takes place in and around Central Kentucky—after all, it’s been dubbed the “Horse Capital of the World.” But sometimes the researchers get to take the show on the road.
Earlier this year, Allen Page, DVM, PhD, researcher and veterinarian at the Gluck Center, who works with David Horohov, PhD, director of the Gluck Center and chair of the Department of Veterinary Science, traveled to the 63rd annual Tevis Cup endurance ride in northern California for a research project.
Page, Horohov, and colleagues have spent the last several years looking at inflammation in racehorses and the utility of inflammatory marker testing to quantify fitness and possibly detect brewing injuries before they become serious. Inflammatory marker testing measures multiple genes responsible for the inflammatory response in horses. As the Thoroughbred industry works together to improve the safety and welfare of racehorses, Horohov and Page have seen the potential for a significant impact in this work through their research efforts, an ongoing project since 2012...
Read more here:
https://thehorse.com/162068/researchers-study-inflammatory-markers-in-endurance-horses/
Drs. Allen Page and David Horohov have studied inflammatory markers in racehorses since 2012. This was their first opportunity to measure those markers in nonracehorses,
Posted by University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment | Oct 26, 2018
Much of the research conducted by scientists at the University of Kentucky (UK) Gluck Equine Research Center, in Lexington, takes place in and around Central Kentucky—after all, it’s been dubbed the “Horse Capital of the World.” But sometimes the researchers get to take the show on the road.
Earlier this year, Allen Page, DVM, PhD, researcher and veterinarian at the Gluck Center, who works with David Horohov, PhD, director of the Gluck Center and chair of the Department of Veterinary Science, traveled to the 63rd annual Tevis Cup endurance ride in northern California for a research project.
Page, Horohov, and colleagues have spent the last several years looking at inflammation in racehorses and the utility of inflammatory marker testing to quantify fitness and possibly detect brewing injuries before they become serious. Inflammatory marker testing measures multiple genes responsible for the inflammatory response in horses. As the Thoroughbred industry works together to improve the safety and welfare of racehorses, Horohov and Page have seen the potential for a significant impact in this work through their research efforts, an ongoing project since 2012...
Read more here:
https://thehorse.com/162068/researchers-study-inflammatory-markers-in-endurance-horses/
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Equine Stomach Health: Omeprazole, Diet Changes, and Ulcers
KER.com - Full Article
September 5, 2018 By Kentucky Equine Research Staff
Omeprazole is the only medication proven to heal gastric ulcers in horses, but veterinarians and nutritionists often recommend diet changes to help combat equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD). Little research has been done to affirm or refute the notion that these diet changes actually help affected horses.
To determine if dietary changes help horses with ESGD, researchers found 34 animals with an ESGD grade of 3 or 4. A score of 3 signifies a large single or extensive superficial lesions, while a score of 4 denotes extensive lesions with areas of apparent deep ulceration. The grading scale goes from 0 (normal) to 4. Each animal was paired with another that had the same ulceration grade and that resided on the same premises, on the same diet, and with approximately the same workload.
After initial gastroscopy (scope 1), one of the horses was assigned to a diet composed of restricted starch, while the other in the pair was maintained on the diet familiar to it. All horses were treated with omeprazole for four weeks. Another gastroscopy (scope 2) was performed on all horses after the four-week omeprazole period. Horses were then taken off omeprazole for six weeks, and a third and final gastroscopy (scope 3) was performed. The horses remained in work throughout the entire trial...
Read more here:
https://ker.com/equinews/equine-stomach-health-omeprazole-diet-changes-ulcers/?utm_source=KER+Newsletter&utm_campaign=14d8eeaea4-Seasonal_Spotlight_Fall_2018&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0d95781dfc-14d8eeaea4-11166&mc_cid=14d8eeaea4&mc_eid=6283eb0e4a
September 5, 2018 By Kentucky Equine Research Staff
Omeprazole is the only medication proven to heal gastric ulcers in horses, but veterinarians and nutritionists often recommend diet changes to help combat equine squamous gastric disease (ESGD). Little research has been done to affirm or refute the notion that these diet changes actually help affected horses.
To determine if dietary changes help horses with ESGD, researchers found 34 animals with an ESGD grade of 3 or 4. A score of 3 signifies a large single or extensive superficial lesions, while a score of 4 denotes extensive lesions with areas of apparent deep ulceration. The grading scale goes from 0 (normal) to 4. Each animal was paired with another that had the same ulceration grade and that resided on the same premises, on the same diet, and with approximately the same workload.
After initial gastroscopy (scope 1), one of the horses was assigned to a diet composed of restricted starch, while the other in the pair was maintained on the diet familiar to it. All horses were treated with omeprazole for four weeks. Another gastroscopy (scope 2) was performed on all horses after the four-week omeprazole period. Horses were then taken off omeprazole for six weeks, and a third and final gastroscopy (scope 3) was performed. The horses remained in work throughout the entire trial...
Read more here:
https://ker.com/equinews/equine-stomach-health-omeprazole-diet-changes-ulcers/?utm_source=KER+Newsletter&utm_campaign=14d8eeaea4-Seasonal_Spotlight_Fall_2018&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0d95781dfc-14d8eeaea4-11166&mc_cid=14d8eeaea4&mc_eid=6283eb0e4a
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Why Do Horses Eat Dirt?
Equiforce.com
One of the most frequently asked question from my clients is “Why does my horse want to eat dirt? Is she missing something in her diet?” Well, the question can be answered several ways, as there is not one particular reason why horses engage in this perfectly natural activity. Horses are supposed to eat a certain amount of dirt on a daily basis.
1. Dirt is a natural part of the equine diet. It contains minerals in bio-available form that the horse needs for various metabolic functions. Some of the minerals, iron for example, are more utilizable from the soil than when added to feeds or stored in forages. Horses that are constantly stabled and deprived of minerals naturally found in dirt may develop deficiencies even when supplied with those minerals in processed feeds.
2. Dirt also contains microbes that the horse’s digestive tract can benefit from. Some microbes are located in plant roots so the horse may dig through the dirt to get at the roots of these plants.
3. Dirt contains water and salt which can both help a thirsty horse stay hydrated. However, it is always better to make sure horses are supplied with fresh drinking water and salt at all times.
4. Horses that do not have access to dirt on a daily basis may gorge on it when it is suddenly available. Again, it is perfectly natural ingredient in the equine diet so allowing the horse access to dirt every day is recommended.
5. Dirt has course particles that will help naturally grind down the horses teeth. Horses kept in stalls do not get this added benefit of eating dirt and must have their teeth floated more often than those out on pasture.
6. A horse with nothing to eat will eat dirt due to hunger and boredom. This is a very common cause of dirt consumption in horses. It is imperative that horses in dry lots or paddocked on sand be given forage on a continuous basis to avoid overconsumption of dirt due to hunger or boredom. Such a situation is dangerous as it can set up the digestive tract for impaction colic very quickly. Always have forage available when horses are stabled or paddocked with no grass.
7. A horse with an upset stomach may seek out and eat dirt or clay. According to Dr. Christine King, “Clays in particular contain very absorbent particles which can bind up bacterial toxins, organic acids such as those produced by sugar fermentation, certain viruses, and other potentially harmful substances in the gut. The bound toxins are then harmlessly removed from the body in the manure”.
8. Soil contains fiber from leaves, bark and stems and can provide bulk fiber to a horse that is deficient in structural fiber. Again, horses that are stabled or paddocked on dirt or sand must be given free access to forage to adequately supply the hindgut with enough fiber. Horses deficient in fiber will eat sawdust, shavings, straw, fences, stalls planks, trees and dirt or whatever they can find to satisfy this requirement.
So for the health of the horse, please allow some daily access to dirt. It’s healthy, nutritious and natural!
Renowned equine nutritionist Dr. Amy M Gill has formulated a line of nutrient targeted therapies for horses that are affected by growth, metabolic, exercise and immune disorders by providing them with targeted levels of specific nutrients. Equi-Force products are novel, proprietary formulations based on solid clinical and field research. Dr. Gill’s formulas contain therapeutic dosing and when used correctly, will help exert a positive physiological effect by providing the raw nutrients the horse needs to get and stay healthy. She can be reached at 859-229-2447 or drgill@equiforce.com
One of the most frequently asked question from my clients is “Why does my horse want to eat dirt? Is she missing something in her diet?” Well, the question can be answered several ways, as there is not one particular reason why horses engage in this perfectly natural activity. Horses are supposed to eat a certain amount of dirt on a daily basis.
1. Dirt is a natural part of the equine diet. It contains minerals in bio-available form that the horse needs for various metabolic functions. Some of the minerals, iron for example, are more utilizable from the soil than when added to feeds or stored in forages. Horses that are constantly stabled and deprived of minerals naturally found in dirt may develop deficiencies even when supplied with those minerals in processed feeds.
2. Dirt also contains microbes that the horse’s digestive tract can benefit from. Some microbes are located in plant roots so the horse may dig through the dirt to get at the roots of these plants.
3. Dirt contains water and salt which can both help a thirsty horse stay hydrated. However, it is always better to make sure horses are supplied with fresh drinking water and salt at all times.
4. Horses that do not have access to dirt on a daily basis may gorge on it when it is suddenly available. Again, it is perfectly natural ingredient in the equine diet so allowing the horse access to dirt every day is recommended.
5. Dirt has course particles that will help naturally grind down the horses teeth. Horses kept in stalls do not get this added benefit of eating dirt and must have their teeth floated more often than those out on pasture.
6. A horse with nothing to eat will eat dirt due to hunger and boredom. This is a very common cause of dirt consumption in horses. It is imperative that horses in dry lots or paddocked on sand be given forage on a continuous basis to avoid overconsumption of dirt due to hunger or boredom. Such a situation is dangerous as it can set up the digestive tract for impaction colic very quickly. Always have forage available when horses are stabled or paddocked with no grass.
7. A horse with an upset stomach may seek out and eat dirt or clay. According to Dr. Christine King, “Clays in particular contain very absorbent particles which can bind up bacterial toxins, organic acids such as those produced by sugar fermentation, certain viruses, and other potentially harmful substances in the gut. The bound toxins are then harmlessly removed from the body in the manure”.
8. Soil contains fiber from leaves, bark and stems and can provide bulk fiber to a horse that is deficient in structural fiber. Again, horses that are stabled or paddocked on dirt or sand must be given free access to forage to adequately supply the hindgut with enough fiber. Horses deficient in fiber will eat sawdust, shavings, straw, fences, stalls planks, trees and dirt or whatever they can find to satisfy this requirement.
So for the health of the horse, please allow some daily access to dirt. It’s healthy, nutritious and natural!
Renowned equine nutritionist Dr. Amy M Gill has formulated a line of nutrient targeted therapies for horses that are affected by growth, metabolic, exercise and immune disorders by providing them with targeted levels of specific nutrients. Equi-Force products are novel, proprietary formulations based on solid clinical and field research. Dr. Gill’s formulas contain therapeutic dosing and when used correctly, will help exert a positive physiological effect by providing the raw nutrients the horse needs to get and stay healthy. She can be reached at 859-229-2447 or drgill@equiforce.com
Dear Greenbean
MelNewton.com - Full ArticleOctober 22, 2018
Posted by Melinda Newton
Hey you, trying to get your horse up to a trail ride of double digits for the first time. Yes, you in the corner who did a long ride last weekend in the stunning time of…3 mph. Do you feel an eternity away from the miles and pace of an endurance ride?
I’m here to reassure you that you are on the right track. I’m writing this to remind myself that *I’m* on the right track too.
You see, it’s been a long long LONG time since I brought along a newbie horse in this sport.
I forgot just how “baby” those baby steps are in the beginning.
I did a ten mile loop on MerryLegs last week. It was a moderate difficulty single track loop. It took FOREVER.
I understand why people make an LD a two or three year plan because OMG, at this point that’s how long I feel like it’s going to take me to get this horse past ten miles at 3 mph...
Read more here:
http://melnewton.com/2018/dear-greenbean/?fbclid=IwAR1QeIm6lifpQ.
Monday, October 22, 2018
Horse Trailer Maintenance
Trailmeister.com - Full Article
Top 5 areas to check before every trip
May 2, 2017
by Robert Eversole
Spending just a little bit of time inspecting and maintaining your horse trailer before hitting the road, will pay big dividends in the form of staying safe. We check the following trailer systems at the start of every riding season and periodically throughout the summer as well.
If you don’t feel mechanically inclined enough to do it yourself, a qualified professional can do all the work for you.
Tires – Check your tires and spare tires to make certain they have the appropriate tire pressure. The pounds per square inch (psi) is located on the side of the tire. Tires filled to their approved maximum rating are less apt to flex and blowout on the road. Also check your tires (and spare tires) for sign of dry rot. Remember tires are subject to drying out even when the trailer is stationary for long periods of time.
Floors – Weak, rotting or corroded trailer floors can be the cause of devastating yet preventable horse trailering tragedies...
Read more here:
https://www.trailmeister.com/horse-trailer-maintenance/
Top 5 areas to check before every trip
May 2, 2017
by Robert Eversole
Spending just a little bit of time inspecting and maintaining your horse trailer before hitting the road, will pay big dividends in the form of staying safe. We check the following trailer systems at the start of every riding season and periodically throughout the summer as well.
If you don’t feel mechanically inclined enough to do it yourself, a qualified professional can do all the work for you.
Tires – Check your tires and spare tires to make certain they have the appropriate tire pressure. The pounds per square inch (psi) is located on the side of the tire. Tires filled to their approved maximum rating are less apt to flex and blowout on the road. Also check your tires (and spare tires) for sign of dry rot. Remember tires are subject to drying out even when the trailer is stationary for long periods of time.
Floors – Weak, rotting or corroded trailer floors can be the cause of devastating yet preventable horse trailering tragedies...
Read more here:
https://www.trailmeister.com/horse-trailer-maintenance/
Monday, October 15, 2018
How to Handle Wild Animal Encounters With Your Horse
Thehorse.com - Full Article
Before you hit the trail, make sure both you and your horse are prepared for any wildlife encounters that might occur.
Posted by Tracy Gantz | Sep 28, 2018
Joan Burlingame has access to 27 miles of trails adjacent to her property in Ravensdale, Washington. It’s the perfect place to go riding on her Tennessee Walking Horse or her mule. However, it has also led to encounters with just about every type of wild animal in the area, including dive-bombing owls.
“They are totally silent, and they approach from the back,” says Burlingame. “Barred owls tend to be the most aggressive, and they’re huge. They will go after your head. The joke is that one of the barred owls here has a baseball cap-collection.”
Though owl attacks are rare, it’s one more good reason to wear a helmet. Wildlife encounters can be spectacular at a distance. But dealing with them up close and personal can cause problems, from your horse spooking to an attack that could injure and even kill you or your horse.
As with any facet of equine safety, taking precautions in advance can help you avoid wild animal encounters and perhaps save you and your horse from injury if and when they do occur...
Read more here:
https://thehorse.com/18132/how-to-handle-wild-animal-encounters-with-your-horse/
Before you hit the trail, make sure both you and your horse are prepared for any wildlife encounters that might occur.
Posted by Tracy Gantz | Sep 28, 2018
Joan Burlingame has access to 27 miles of trails adjacent to her property in Ravensdale, Washington. It’s the perfect place to go riding on her Tennessee Walking Horse or her mule. However, it has also led to encounters with just about every type of wild animal in the area, including dive-bombing owls.
“They are totally silent, and they approach from the back,” says Burlingame. “Barred owls tend to be the most aggressive, and they’re huge. They will go after your head. The joke is that one of the barred owls here has a baseball cap-collection.”
Though owl attacks are rare, it’s one more good reason to wear a helmet. Wildlife encounters can be spectacular at a distance. But dealing with them up close and personal can cause problems, from your horse spooking to an attack that could injure and even kill you or your horse.
As with any facet of equine safety, taking precautions in advance can help you avoid wild animal encounters and perhaps save you and your horse from injury if and when they do occur...
Read more here:
https://thehorse.com/18132/how-to-handle-wild-animal-encounters-with-your-horse/
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Horse Hoof Sole Packing Reduced Impact Vibrations in Pilot Study
Thehorse.com - Full Article
The theory is that when the polyurethane pour-in packing absorbs the shock from the hoof impacting the ground, it prevents it from traveling further up the musculoskeletal system, where it could cause wear and tear injuries.
Posted by Christa Lesté-Lasserre, MA | Oct 10, 2018
Some work on hard surfaces can help increase the loading rates of a horse’s internal structures, but too much or repetitive hard-surface work can lead to musculoskeletal damage. Ideally, horses should work on a variety of surfaces with minimal hard-surface exercise, most researchers agree. But sometimes, that’s not an option.
“Police horses spend a majority of their time on city streets and other hard roads, for example,” said Amy L. Barstow, MRCVS, PhD candidate, of the Royal Veterinary College in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, the U.K. “So do leisure horses sometimes, especially in periods of drought like the U.K. is having right now. Not all owners have access to soft arena surfaces. So, finding a practical solution to this problem was necessary.”
Barstow and colleagues recently investigated a pour-in polyurethane sole packing materials for that purpose. They found that it helps reduce certain forms of vibrations and forces in the hoof, at least in their introductory study. The theory is that when the polyurethane absorbs the shock from the hoof impacting the ground, it prevents it from traveling further up the musculoskeletal system where it could cause wear and tear injuries...
Read more here:
https://thehorse.com/161573/horse-hoof-sole-packing-reduced-impact-vibrations-in-pilot-study/
The theory is that when the polyurethane pour-in packing absorbs the shock from the hoof impacting the ground, it prevents it from traveling further up the musculoskeletal system, where it could cause wear and tear injuries.
Posted by Christa Lesté-Lasserre, MA | Oct 10, 2018
Some work on hard surfaces can help increase the loading rates of a horse’s internal structures, but too much or repetitive hard-surface work can lead to musculoskeletal damage. Ideally, horses should work on a variety of surfaces with minimal hard-surface exercise, most researchers agree. But sometimes, that’s not an option.
“Police horses spend a majority of their time on city streets and other hard roads, for example,” said Amy L. Barstow, MRCVS, PhD candidate, of the Royal Veterinary College in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, the U.K. “So do leisure horses sometimes, especially in periods of drought like the U.K. is having right now. Not all owners have access to soft arena surfaces. So, finding a practical solution to this problem was necessary.”
Barstow and colleagues recently investigated a pour-in polyurethane sole packing materials for that purpose. They found that it helps reduce certain forms of vibrations and forces in the hoof, at least in their introductory study. The theory is that when the polyurethane absorbs the shock from the hoof impacting the ground, it prevents it from traveling further up the musculoskeletal system where it could cause wear and tear injuries...
Read more here:
https://thehorse.com/161573/horse-hoof-sole-packing-reduced-impact-vibrations-in-pilot-study/
Thursday, October 04, 2018
Know Thyself (Reinventing the AERC?)
AwareWelfare.net - Full Article
by John Crandell
October 3 2018
I do understand the facts and sentiment driving Patti Stedman’s recent essay “Enough is Enough” as well as the many similar statements and calls to action. There are some subtle but very important distinctions that are consistently being missed in this kind of perspective. There is important background that keeps getting swept under the rug during the distraction of such rhetoric.
I have long been critical of the way AERC submitted to FEI/USET(USEF) demands in the very beginning. The AERC was once an organization with a boarder-blind, multi-national(continental) identity and a global outlook. Its influence expanded rapidly from its origins in California because of the broad demand for a standardized set of rules and record keeping, as many different events inspired by the integrated veterinary control system of Western States (Tevis Cup) began to propagate across North America.
In the early expansion of the discipline it was recognized that standardized rule and recording of performance, applied over as wide an area as possible, was a vital foundation for equestrian sciences and particularly of maintaining a vibrant and healthy gene pool. This consistency in competition also enhanced the disciplines appeal as a sport with global potential. This in turn promoted greater interest in quality breeding and research, so to this extent the economic development of the competitive sport and supporting industries was also in the best long-term interest of equines. We had a very healthy form of globalization underway, and the AERC was the principal supplier of rules and recording standards behind it all.
Then after some initial resistance, the AERC submitted to FEI/USET assertion that the AERC should be a single nation governing body, thus subordinate in the FEI’s INTERNATIONAL system. In complying with this externally imposed definition of itself, the AERC disrespected its non-USA members by forming only one committee to interface with one national federation, creating unequal representation among its membership. “International” is not the same as “global”. International competition is mock wars between sovereigns. In this environment the athletes, and especially their mounts, are inherently little more than solder pawns of a sovereign power.
Those sovereign powers may be autocracies seeking to popularize and secure the power of it’s nobles, or they may be a democratic representation of a million couch potatoes looking to see a new type a sensational sports drama, like watching NASCAR to see the wrecks. Either way, the populist influence is not good for horses. For each person that is excited by the drama of the “thrill of victory and the agony of defeat”, there many more that are appalled at having horses involved in such human follies. Since the most vocal are only equipped with reference that is supplied to them in the form of the anthropomorphizing caricatures of popular media, they really can’t be expected to clamor for any solution more complex than an empathy driven demand for complete shutdown of the sport. Empathy is not the same as compassion (1), so in the end, horses will suffer more in this outcome too.
However big a juggernaut FEI is globally today, there is good reason to question how much longer the world will continue support any animal sports business model that must leverage nationality as the core of its power structure. If the FEI doesn’t undertake major efforts toward a very fundamental change soon it will be to late for this Titanic of an organization of maneuver sustainably into the future. We should all hope that the FEI will have an epiphany soon, but we should do more than just complain about the FEI or withdraw from interaction altogether and wait for it. There is much that can be done to create positive change with or without FEI cooperation. We all need to prepare for the void that will eventually be created if the FEI does not wake up, and in doing to so we create the strongest incentive of all for FEI to awaken from its nostalgic slumber and change.
Our horses can benefit immensely by global standards in endurance tests, but they have suffered enough in the quirky wars and political games of man. In learning how to support horses more globally, without dragging them into our petty tribal rivalries and politically stacked bureaucracies, we will exercise wisdom that is important for our own welfare.
It’s impossible to accomplish anything globally without paying basic respects to the various legal structures of the nations that quilt the planet. However, it is not essential that the business models be based on license to economic monopolies in each sovereign, or against governance entities that are represented in several sovereigns.
In summary, standardization and globalization of practices in sports is of vital importance to the welfare of equines, but we should be critical about the degree to which nationalism needs to be a part of globalization.
Whenever the AERC posts new proclamations about what it dislikes about the FEI or International competition, what it “cannot tolerate” the FEI is allowing to happen, that it should not ratify the terms the FEI has drafted for it, that it will stop diplomatic relations and withdraw into its own more limited domain; the AERC is effectively defining itself in subordinate relation to the FEI and international competition.
It is unfortunate that this FEI-reactive definition of its own identity has also resulted in other unhealthy changes in the AERC community. In the absence of popular understanding of details behind the issues in international competition, there arose a popular rejection of many aspects of the pursuit of excellence itself. Notable exceptions to this popular dismissal of achievement in the AERC have largely centered around the completion of mileage and the softening of reward standards that enhance the enlistment of new entry level membership. It is no coincidence that this pattern aligns with AERC’s own limited business model and its most immediate avenues of cash flow.
In its own way, the AERC has created its own unhealthy bias toward a very constrained scope in the pursuit of excellence. This has also depressed its support of the economy of associated industries and endeavors. While the U.S. economy has been blamed for the recession of participation and the withering of our major breeders, the same activities have been expanding in other nations with weaker economies. This economically oppressive and short-sighted outlook has impacted the character of the new applications for membership, disenchanting youth with aspirations toward long range, full time commitment to the discipline; and attracting older, recreationally oriented participants who shared in the limited view of excellence. Thus, the AERC fell into a classic self-fulfillment feed-back loop of populism, complete with its oppression of creativity and achievement, and the declining spiral dynamics of a pursuit of mediocrity.
There is a better way. There is a way for the AERC to become more honorable and resolute in its mission, and to respectfully allow other organizations the opportunity to decide if they would like to interact on AERC’s terms. I will point out how the AERC can re-secure and even expand its own identity, independent of what is going on in the world elsewhere, and still be diplomatically open for contact, ready to cooperate with change for good.
The world needs examples governance organization that endeavors to EXCEED what is available today. We need governance that has the capacity to be objective, self-examining and creative, such that it never stops looking to improve itself. We need to continuously refine best practices. We need to support the pursuit of excellence in our systems of governing and the definitions we doctrines we base them upon, just as we support the broad pursuit of excellence in horses and horsemanship.
To do this the AERC needs to begin by becoming precise in its understanding of itself, and more explicit in its projection of its mission. We must learn to do better than to quote oxymoron and other rhetoric that is in abject conflict with the written word of the AERC’s own by-laws and rules.
The AERC needs to resolve many conflicts of logic in its policies. We need to ask questions of ourselves such as: Why does the AERC continue to maintain by-laws that prohibit it from sponsoring anything but races when so many of its participants do not want to race? If we really take this thought exercise seriously and contemplate how we might correct this conflict, it unravels a long string of non-sensical affronts of logic. (I’ll save further expansion in this area for another time)
Say what you mean, mean what you say
Would not a rose by any other name…….
We shouldn’t depend on creating our own definitions of words in defiance of Webster’s dictionary to explain ourselves. This only make us appear less credible in the end. It doesn’t need to be this way. We can fix this and be better off for it.
As I just indicated, many of the changes that need to be undertaken must begin with a formal revision of AERC by-laws. For the most part, the by-laws have been a useful document, but many clauses that seemed appropriate or harmless in 1972 don’t accurately reflect the long term best interest or values of the membership; and the environment of the distance riding discipline today.
We came into the quirky rhetoric of defining the races that AERC was formed to promote as “Endurance Rides” because of the nature of competition for market share with competitive trail ride organizations that once dominated the distance riding scene in America. The win the most new members AERC needed to capitalize on its races potential for excitement and yet appear as temperate as competitive trail rides when needed. The AERC adopted a somewhat disingenuous approach for playing both sides at once to the market, attracting potential members away from competitive trail riding and in into its projection that its all-race catalog was a complete entry level to elite program for a distance riding discipline. It exclusively offered more entertaining and exciting races but also promoted the use of language to describe those races by more general terms which rhetorically avoided explicit association with the history and potential hedonism of “jackpot racing”. People then could actively support racing by their participation dollars, and simultaneously distance their egos from association with any heinous behavior with their rhetoric. How convenient! Thus trite, misdirecting and inaccurate statements became the norm. The practice was an immediate marketing success for the AERC, but it has left us with a deeply embedded conflict that tortures the soul of the discipline everywhere to this day.
Take a moment to look at the AERC by-laws at 4.01(a)...
Read the rest at:
https://awarewelfare.net/2018/10/03/know-thyself/
by John Crandell
October 3 2018
I do understand the facts and sentiment driving Patti Stedman’s recent essay “Enough is Enough” as well as the many similar statements and calls to action. There are some subtle but very important distinctions that are consistently being missed in this kind of perspective. There is important background that keeps getting swept under the rug during the distraction of such rhetoric.
I have long been critical of the way AERC submitted to FEI/USET(USEF) demands in the very beginning. The AERC was once an organization with a boarder-blind, multi-national(continental) identity and a global outlook. Its influence expanded rapidly from its origins in California because of the broad demand for a standardized set of rules and record keeping, as many different events inspired by the integrated veterinary control system of Western States (Tevis Cup) began to propagate across North America.
In the early expansion of the discipline it was recognized that standardized rule and recording of performance, applied over as wide an area as possible, was a vital foundation for equestrian sciences and particularly of maintaining a vibrant and healthy gene pool. This consistency in competition also enhanced the disciplines appeal as a sport with global potential. This in turn promoted greater interest in quality breeding and research, so to this extent the economic development of the competitive sport and supporting industries was also in the best long-term interest of equines. We had a very healthy form of globalization underway, and the AERC was the principal supplier of rules and recording standards behind it all.
Then after some initial resistance, the AERC submitted to FEI/USET assertion that the AERC should be a single nation governing body, thus subordinate in the FEI’s INTERNATIONAL system. In complying with this externally imposed definition of itself, the AERC disrespected its non-USA members by forming only one committee to interface with one national federation, creating unequal representation among its membership. “International” is not the same as “global”. International competition is mock wars between sovereigns. In this environment the athletes, and especially their mounts, are inherently little more than solder pawns of a sovereign power.
Those sovereign powers may be autocracies seeking to popularize and secure the power of it’s nobles, or they may be a democratic representation of a million couch potatoes looking to see a new type a sensational sports drama, like watching NASCAR to see the wrecks. Either way, the populist influence is not good for horses. For each person that is excited by the drama of the “thrill of victory and the agony of defeat”, there many more that are appalled at having horses involved in such human follies. Since the most vocal are only equipped with reference that is supplied to them in the form of the anthropomorphizing caricatures of popular media, they really can’t be expected to clamor for any solution more complex than an empathy driven demand for complete shutdown of the sport. Empathy is not the same as compassion (1), so in the end, horses will suffer more in this outcome too.
However big a juggernaut FEI is globally today, there is good reason to question how much longer the world will continue support any animal sports business model that must leverage nationality as the core of its power structure. If the FEI doesn’t undertake major efforts toward a very fundamental change soon it will be to late for this Titanic of an organization of maneuver sustainably into the future. We should all hope that the FEI will have an epiphany soon, but we should do more than just complain about the FEI or withdraw from interaction altogether and wait for it. There is much that can be done to create positive change with or without FEI cooperation. We all need to prepare for the void that will eventually be created if the FEI does not wake up, and in doing to so we create the strongest incentive of all for FEI to awaken from its nostalgic slumber and change.
Our horses can benefit immensely by global standards in endurance tests, but they have suffered enough in the quirky wars and political games of man. In learning how to support horses more globally, without dragging them into our petty tribal rivalries and politically stacked bureaucracies, we will exercise wisdom that is important for our own welfare.
It’s impossible to accomplish anything globally without paying basic respects to the various legal structures of the nations that quilt the planet. However, it is not essential that the business models be based on license to economic monopolies in each sovereign, or against governance entities that are represented in several sovereigns.
In summary, standardization and globalization of practices in sports is of vital importance to the welfare of equines, but we should be critical about the degree to which nationalism needs to be a part of globalization.
Whenever the AERC posts new proclamations about what it dislikes about the FEI or International competition, what it “cannot tolerate” the FEI is allowing to happen, that it should not ratify the terms the FEI has drafted for it, that it will stop diplomatic relations and withdraw into its own more limited domain; the AERC is effectively defining itself in subordinate relation to the FEI and international competition.
It is unfortunate that this FEI-reactive definition of its own identity has also resulted in other unhealthy changes in the AERC community. In the absence of popular understanding of details behind the issues in international competition, there arose a popular rejection of many aspects of the pursuit of excellence itself. Notable exceptions to this popular dismissal of achievement in the AERC have largely centered around the completion of mileage and the softening of reward standards that enhance the enlistment of new entry level membership. It is no coincidence that this pattern aligns with AERC’s own limited business model and its most immediate avenues of cash flow.
In its own way, the AERC has created its own unhealthy bias toward a very constrained scope in the pursuit of excellence. This has also depressed its support of the economy of associated industries and endeavors. While the U.S. economy has been blamed for the recession of participation and the withering of our major breeders, the same activities have been expanding in other nations with weaker economies. This economically oppressive and short-sighted outlook has impacted the character of the new applications for membership, disenchanting youth with aspirations toward long range, full time commitment to the discipline; and attracting older, recreationally oriented participants who shared in the limited view of excellence. Thus, the AERC fell into a classic self-fulfillment feed-back loop of populism, complete with its oppression of creativity and achievement, and the declining spiral dynamics of a pursuit of mediocrity.
There is a better way. There is a way for the AERC to become more honorable and resolute in its mission, and to respectfully allow other organizations the opportunity to decide if they would like to interact on AERC’s terms. I will point out how the AERC can re-secure and even expand its own identity, independent of what is going on in the world elsewhere, and still be diplomatically open for contact, ready to cooperate with change for good.
The world needs examples governance organization that endeavors to EXCEED what is available today. We need governance that has the capacity to be objective, self-examining and creative, such that it never stops looking to improve itself. We need to continuously refine best practices. We need to support the pursuit of excellence in our systems of governing and the definitions we doctrines we base them upon, just as we support the broad pursuit of excellence in horses and horsemanship.
To do this the AERC needs to begin by becoming precise in its understanding of itself, and more explicit in its projection of its mission. We must learn to do better than to quote oxymoron and other rhetoric that is in abject conflict with the written word of the AERC’s own by-laws and rules.
The AERC needs to resolve many conflicts of logic in its policies. We need to ask questions of ourselves such as: Why does the AERC continue to maintain by-laws that prohibit it from sponsoring anything but races when so many of its participants do not want to race? If we really take this thought exercise seriously and contemplate how we might correct this conflict, it unravels a long string of non-sensical affronts of logic. (I’ll save further expansion in this area for another time)
Say what you mean, mean what you say
Would not a rose by any other name…….
We shouldn’t depend on creating our own definitions of words in defiance of Webster’s dictionary to explain ourselves. This only make us appear less credible in the end. It doesn’t need to be this way. We can fix this and be better off for it.
As I just indicated, many of the changes that need to be undertaken must begin with a formal revision of AERC by-laws. For the most part, the by-laws have been a useful document, but many clauses that seemed appropriate or harmless in 1972 don’t accurately reflect the long term best interest or values of the membership; and the environment of the distance riding discipline today.
We came into the quirky rhetoric of defining the races that AERC was formed to promote as “Endurance Rides” because of the nature of competition for market share with competitive trail ride organizations that once dominated the distance riding scene in America. The win the most new members AERC needed to capitalize on its races potential for excitement and yet appear as temperate as competitive trail rides when needed. The AERC adopted a somewhat disingenuous approach for playing both sides at once to the market, attracting potential members away from competitive trail riding and in into its projection that its all-race catalog was a complete entry level to elite program for a distance riding discipline. It exclusively offered more entertaining and exciting races but also promoted the use of language to describe those races by more general terms which rhetorically avoided explicit association with the history and potential hedonism of “jackpot racing”. People then could actively support racing by their participation dollars, and simultaneously distance their egos from association with any heinous behavior with their rhetoric. How convenient! Thus trite, misdirecting and inaccurate statements became the norm. The practice was an immediate marketing success for the AERC, but it has left us with a deeply embedded conflict that tortures the soul of the discipline everywhere to this day.
Take a moment to look at the AERC by-laws at 4.01(a)...
Read the rest at:
https://awarewelfare.net/2018/10/03/know-thyself/
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