Arruda dos Vinhos, Portugal (December 6, 2010) – Pat Parelli may be an American cowboy, but that didn’t stop him from wowing the world’s greatest dressage riders and trainers at the two-day International Dressage Forum at the Academide de Dressage in Portugal. Parelli, who has an international following and is considered one of the founders of the natural horsemanship movement, was invited to participate in the Dressage Forum by Mariette Whitages, “O” Judge and former chairman of the FEI Dressage Committee.
Parelli was part of an international list of respected trainers, riders, judges and breeders at the forum, including Edward Gal, Kyra Kyrkland, Sven Rothenberger and Hans Riegler. Whitages invited Parelli so the internationally renowned horseman could share his revealing insights into the horse’s mind and his concepts on keeping equine athletes happy.
Parelli held the elite dressage audience spellbound as he worked with a Lusitano stallion that was afraid of a longe whip. In quick order, Parelli showed how to get the stallion over his fear of the whip and to trust and pay attention using a natural approach that took the stallion’s individual personality into consideration.
Appropriately “federally protected” wild horses “LOCK UP” our western public rangelands from development and exploitation. Looking at the bigger and historical picture of wild horse mismanagement (not what appears just fine in one’s own “backyard”), it’s easier to see why there is a war waged against our wild horses & burros at the DOI/government level ~ OUR lands. Remain vigilant and “Keep our WEST WILD”.
Besides livestock overrunning lands owned by just a few large corporations (not private ranchers – very different) which only benefit 3% of the American public… there is also development, natural resource exploitation, green energy farms such as the Ruby Pipeline extending from Wyoming west to Oregon, and wind turbines & solar power. Suddenly, our wide open spaces of our beloved west are shrinking at alarming rates.
As stated, wild horses “lock up” our lands when they have appropriate “protected” status, as we are hoping… and they (DOI) are fearing, by restoring appropriate language/protection through a wild horse and burro Act (i.e. ROAM Act), prior to the 2004 tragic amendment, stripping wild horses and burros of most of their protection “sold without limitations”… a sneaky rider bill by Senator Conrad Burns who introduced it, and put it into appropriations without public comment/consent DURING the holiday break when most in DC were away on vacation. President G. Bush signed it on December 6th, and with the swipe of a pen, causing tragedies to your/my/our American mustangs and burros, and at the same time devastating knowledgeable citizens.
Sign of the times: actual video of what many of our wide open spaces may soon be like – tremendous impact on all wildlife & our psyches. Information and awareness is key. Here’s what Basin & Range says: The loud noise of the Stirling dish/engines will scare wildlife in the desert away and invade the silence of the wilderness areas nearby, at Calico Solar Project and Imperial Valley Solar Project (deadly Calico roundup, where 2,000 wild horses were removed last winter). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEIQ2FVL_ys
Lausanne, 6 December 2010 – Gen. Samy Negm El Din of Egypt, FEI official in Jumping and technical consultant to the Omani National Federation, passed away on 4 December 2010 aged 64.
Gen. Samy Negm El Din was a graduate in law and retired as a general from the police force of his home country, Egypt, in 1995. From 2000 to 2001 he served as a board member of the Egypt Equestrian Federation and was a technical consultant to the Omani National Federation until his sudden death.
Gen. Samy Negm El Din was a member of the FEI World Cup Jumping Arab League Sub-Committee and was instrumental in the organisation of many international events in Jumping and Tent Pegging in the region. He played a key role in setting up the international Tent Pegging committee in 2008.
His Highness Sheikh Khalid Chairman of Group VII said, “Gen. Samy was seen by the National Federations of the Arabian Region as one of their greatest bridges to the FEI, and he loved the organisation, and all it stood for. We are all deeply distressed and saddened by his passing, but we will strive to remember him through our work in the region.”
Lausanne, 6 December 2010 – Legendary horseman Eugene “Gene” Mische, the founder of Stadium Jumping Inc., passed away on 3 December 2010 at the age of 79, following a long, hard fought battle with cancer.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio (USA), in 1931, Mische, more than any horseman in history, changed the face of horse sports in the United States.
Over the course of a stellar career that spanned more than 60 years, Gene Mische managed the most prestigious shows in America, including the Budweiser American Invitational, American Grand Prix Association National Jumper Championship, New Albany Classic, Lake Placid and I Love New York Shows, Charlotte Jumper Classic, the American Gold Cup, USEF National Jumper Championships, and the National Horse Show. Other Stadium Jumping Inc. productions included the Olympic Games Jumping Team Selection Trials in 2000 and 2004, and the FEI World Equestrian Games Jumping Team Selection Trials in 2002 and 2006.
Reminder for Monday December 6 – Tell Us What You Want to Know – Space is limited – Reserve your Webinar seat now! Join the first FREE webinar on December 6th at 7pm CST and participate in an “all around” Equine Wellness session that allows you to submit your questions and top picks of topics to be covered in the upcoming webinar series starting in early 2011.
Would you like to learn more about what can be done to help your horse with ulcers, EMS/IR, lameness, hives, colic, allergies, back pain, hoof problems, arthritis and so on? Do you struggle to determine the best nutrition for your horses and become completely overwhelmed by the vast array of feeds and supplements available? What about issues like conditioning, saddle fitting, shoeing, dehydration, long travel, legal use of supplements, teeth floating and the many other questions you need answered.
Starting January 10th, every other Monday night at 7pm CST, KAM Animal Services along with staff Veterinarian Dr. John Hanover and guest experts will hold an educational webinar on various equine health topics that are important to anyone owning and caring for horses. These will be MUST KNOW webinars!
Wellington, FL – December 5, 2010 – The Holiday & Horses Show, held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, concluded competition today with the feature event for the hunters, the $20,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby. Molly Ashe-Cawley of Newton, CT, rode Olivia Jack’s Back in the Game to the win in the $20,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby. Kelley Farmer of Keswick, VA, was second on Mr. and Mrs. Ernest M. Oare’s Rosalynn, while Victoria Colvin of Loxahatchee, FL, rode Sanzibar for Barbara Ridder Irwin and Karen Long Dwight to third place.
The Holiday & Horses Show is the first competition in the Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP) Holiday Series, which consists of seven shows through the beginning of January.
The course designer for today’s derby was Skip Bailey, who set a beautiful track with bright new jumps and interesting options. Farmer described, “They did a beautiful course. The jumps were gorgeous and it all looked great. Skip does a beautiful job. The horses jump well, you’re not in their mouths, they flow beautifully, and there’s not a lot of related distances. It’s never a trap to make the horses nervous. Even if it’s hard, they jump well. I thought it was great.”
All too often an injury or surgery requires a horse to be put on “stall rest” to promote healing and/or prevent further damage. Horses were designed to be herd animals while walking and grazing for 20 hours a day. It should be no surprise the stress and problems stall rest can lead to.
Vices, such as cribbing and stall weaving, may develop to relieve boredom. The lack of exercise can lead to circulation problems (swollen legs and poor blood flow to the hooves), digestive problems (colic), and weight gain. Some horses build up so much energy they “explode” in the stall or when taken out for a walk.
Here are some tips to help:
Reduce their feed, especially “hot” grains, and control their calories.
Feed hay in a net or manger to slow down their eating. This helps prevent boredom, weight gain and colic.
Provide extra bedding and water.
Monitor the ventilation and temperature.
Supply toys or a pet, such as a goat, to keep them busy.
Rotate other horses to stay in for company.
Take them for many walks daily if allowed.
Use leg wraps and products (oral and topical) to help with any swelling.
Consider calming agents, such as essential oils, herbs, Stress Busters cookies, and drugs if needed.
This tip was brought to you by John J. Hanover, DVM and KAM Animal Services, home of KAM’s “Equine Learning Circle” (KELC) FREE webinars, which will take place twice a month from January through June of 2011. To kick things off KAM will have a networking webinar on December 6th at 7pm CST. Go to www.kamanimalservices.com to sign up for this webinar. The KELC FREE webinar will conclude with a question and answer session, so be ready with your nutrition questions.
What nobody expected in Hungary’s capital city happened today: Switzerland’s Werner Ulrich stayed ahead of top favourite Boyd Exell from Australia and won the FEI World Cup Driving competition in Budapest. Exell made two mistakes and came second, ahead of Ulrich’s compatriot Daniel Würgler. This was the second FEI World Cup Driving win in Ulrich’s 31 year long driving career. His first World Cup win came in Mechelen back in 2005.
Heart for Driving The Papp Lászlo Budapest Sportarena was filled with enthusiastic driving fans this afternoon. In Budapest you feel that driving has a special place in the people’s hearts. The driving sport is extremely popular in Hungary, stimulated even further by the Lázár brothers who are very successful in both pairs and team driving and who enjoy celebrity status in Hungary.
Hungarian O-course designer Gábor Fintha had designed one of the best courses of the season for today’s competition, with technical challenges and fast lines, including a bridge with fireworks.