Mountain Thyme Training

08/27/2024

We are home and (mostly) recovered from the Green Mountain Horse Associations CT and CDE in the lovely South Woodstock, VT.

We completed Thursday’s CT with overall improvements but my dressage score was higher than I liked and I annihilated a cone/ball at 13c. Thanks for the photo of the exact moment, Jason 🙃 King tried hard and did everything I asked. We placed 2nd overall in preliminary single pony for the CT- woohoo!

Friday brought the CDE dressage. I knew exactly what I needed to focus on that we lacked the day before. King BROUGHT it and was with me every step of the way. We improved our dressage score 20 points to a 45.60% from the same judge from the CT and an average score of 49.87%, landing us a second in dressage.

Marathon day was perfect. Jason navigated for me and rocked. We picked routes we thought King would appreciate. King showed me how fit he was when we stayed at or below our optimum time, which allowed for plenty of walk breaks. I never felt like I had to push him. Both Jason and I were sad it went by so quickly. Our times in hazards and no faults placed us 2nd on the marathon. We led our division with a 112.75 score- also the lowest score of ALL the prelim drivers.

The cones course walked well but had its challenges- over 40 cones with zig zags, oxers and skinnies. As long as I went double clear in cones, my placing would stay the same. No pressure….right?! King was game and would’ve done the course faster if I had asked. In the end, we did it. We went double clear.

We ended up winning the prelim single pony division and also earned the overall preliminary champions out of 21 preliminary drivers.

We also participated in the Can-Am challenge and were honored that our score contributed to the US team winning the challenge!

Thank you to everyone at GMHA for making the event possible. We so appreciate everything you do and look forward to this event every year.

08/19/2024

This weekend we stayed close to home for the much anticipated show at Twin Birch Farms right outside beautiful Skaneateles, NY. A venue I’ve previously competed at, I was thrilled when Dirk and Karen opened their farm again to celebrate their 30 years with haflingers!

On Friday, I took Savannah (owned by client Terri Silverman) in double judged haflinger halter class. Savannah was an absolute doll through the whole show, placing third under both judges.

I also brought along my 1 year old filly, Glassy. This was Glassy’s first show and second field trip to a new place. I was beyond thrilled with how she handled the entire event, taking in all the commotion and activity. She placed second under both judges.

Today, Savannah and I returned to Twin Birch for two training level driven dressage tests, placing 5 for training A and sixth for training B. Savannah came to me in April to be trained to drive and I was honored to be holding the lines for her first driving show debut. Thank you, Terri, for trusting me with your beautiful girl!

A shout out to my clients and friends who competed-
Debbie and Toby, who showed ALL FOUR DAYS in multiple disciplines and absolutely rocked it! I should’ve taken a photo of all their ribbons, because there were a whole lotta blues.
Rebecca and Jilly, who placed sixth in training B and have worked hard the last few months and made so much progress!
Sharon and Munch, who won BOTH training level tests. Munch proved he’s still the solid pony he’s always been.

And, a thank you to Jessica for coming to visit and getting me my new favorite cup 🥹

07/29/2024

I’ve not been good with sharing photos of training horses this summer. They’ve been a fun bunch who seem to have found their rhythm. I will have two newcomers joining the program for August and look forward to getting to know them! Enjoy time with your equine partners, everyone.

07/25/2024

Hey friends!
Looking for another show to add to your list this summer?
One that offers English, western, ridden dressage, halter, youth showmanship, driving (pleasure and dressage) for both haflingers AND all breed classes? Add The Classic at Twin Birch, August 15-18, to your calendar.

Twin Birch is a gorgeous farm and a perfect venue for a show. It was actually Nolan and I’s first driving show all those years ago. We are so excited they are bringing it back to celebrate their 30th year.

Visit the website below for full details! Entry deadline is August 1, to avoid late entry fees.

In August of 1994 Karen and Dirk Young purchased their first Haflinger on a whim at the New York State Fair. They couldn't have imagined that one impulse purchase would lead to 30 years of wonderful experiences and friendships around the world. The Classic is more than just another horse show; it ....

07/22/2024

Our 2024 GVRDC Combined Test and Continuous Drive is less than 7 weeks away! Entries are open (use the ADS Combined Driving entry form), closing date is August 23.
NEW UPDATE: Dressage will be held in a 56X20 meter (approximately 180X65 feet) indoor arena with rolled footing of mixed rubber and sand, using ADS Arena Trial Tests B for Training and Preliminary levels.
Don't miss this event in the beautiful Genesee Valley of New York State!
Melody Payne Christine Siracusa Laura DeFazio Diana Ogden Hildreth Jillian Gemmell Jessica Carini Audrey Isidore Sears Carol A. Cross Jeffrey Kohler Clara Levitsky Sharon Gossen Baum Gina Handy Audrey Cooper Mary Crinean Nicole Cable Beth Ann Berwanger Steven French

07/21/2024

Lorenzo driving competition 2024 is a wrap. What a banner year, in both weather and client accomplishment’s.

On Friday, Jessica spent her birthday competing at what was only her second driving competition with her mini, Mitch, and pony, Rhina. She placed fifth in dressage with Rhina in training single pony. In training VSE, she was fourth with Mitch in dressage and first on the timed drive. Jessica and her support crew did a great job getting not one but two ponies ready to compete.

Sharon and Sam joined on Friday for dressage and cones, and again today for the pleasure drive pace. This was just Sam’s second show and they placed third in dressage. Sharon has worked so hard to bring Sam along the past few years and the proof was in their performance!

Cindy and Sunny brought their A game for their fourth driving show. Cindy and Sunny were first in training single pony dressage, and were first in turnout, working, my route/your route cones, and fourth in reinsmanship. I’m not sure her placings in the pace or PYR cones. Their many blue ribbons landed them the NOVICE WHIP CHAMPIONSHIP! Well done, Cindy and Sunny.

King and I competed on Friday in prelim single pony dressage. We were fortunate enough to place first in our division and also receive the lowest preliminary dressage score with a 50.941%

I want to give a huge shoutout to all the grooms, helpers and supporters who not only showed up for my clients but for myself. Your help and encouragement is beyond appreciated and we couldn’t do it without you.

Thank you everyone at Lorenzo- the show staff, the board, the volunteers, the grounds crew, the sponsors… We hope you know how appreciated you are for everything you do!!

07/09/2024

I think one of the hardest lessons we, as trainers, have to teach through is the ones that no one wants to ever have to deal with. You have to think quickly, but calmly, and hope it becomes a valuable lesson learned in the end for all involved.

07/07/2024

Very proud of these three ladies (Rebecca, Cindy, and Sharon) and their lovely ponies (Jilly, Sunny, and Sam) for working hard to prepare for their first show of the season at the Barneveld Horseman Association’s CT and pleasure show. I had to get home before ribbons were given out so I’m not sure all their placings, but regardless they did GREAT and looked spectacular.

07/07/2024

I read this quote today and felt it was worth sharing.

Just remember that quote when others complain you aren’t moving fast enough. Or aren’t working hard enough. Or aren’t talented enough. Or that you aren’t pushing your horse or yourself hard enough.

All that matters is that you are doing right by your horse, yourself, and that in the end it’s fun. It takes patience and persistence to exceed in this sport. There are frequent moments where you take 5 steps forward, followed by 10 steps back. For the majority, it’s normal growth for both us and our equine partners. But at the end of the day, despite any setbacks, we love it and we want to support others that share that same love.

Respect your fellow competitors and their process. Your fellow drivers- people who want to support the sport, at their own pace with their horses. Be an advocate and representative this sport deserves.

07/02/2024

Please consider donating or at least sharing this post!!

07/02/2024

Lorenzo needs volunteers and this is a great way to get an inside scoop of how the show runs. Please consider helping out!

07/01/2024

King and I had a great weekend at the Gladstone HDT and CT held at the USET headquarters in the beautiful rolling hills of New Jersey.

When I go to a show, my goal is to improve my driving and my relationship with my equine partner. It’s not about the ribbon. We were first in both the HDT and the CT- we were the only ones in the preliminary single large pony division. Big whoop getting first, right? I agree, and I’m not trying to hide it.

So, I look at other things- where is my score in relation to the other preliminary competitors? How do my scores compare to my last show? Are we improving in our dressage test? Were we double clear in cones? Were our marathon times at an improving speed and SAFE speed? It’s not impressive to see someone frying their equine partners brains in obstacles because they want to ‘make up’ points from their dressage deficit. Why not make the effort to improve all three phases?

I felt that King and I accomplished what I hoped. Our dressage scores vastly improved from our show just a month ago (we earned respectable scores of 50.96% in the CT and 53.91% in the HDT, which was the lowest HDT dressage score of the day). We communicated well during the test without any major hiccups. Even when King got his tongue over the bit in HDT dressage- we both kept our composure and finished the test. We were double clear in the HDT cones (I did get one ball down in the CT cones, but made time). On the marathon, I tried to pick routes that King could keep his speed without having to do much jostling and changing bend. We had one slight miscommunication in obstacle five but got back on track quickly, and I felt had respectable times in obstacles. Jason gatored for me and did an amazing job.

So, yeah, we were the only preliminary single large pony and by default, won our division. But it’s not about the wins, it’s about the bigger picture. It’s about the ponies and horses. It’s about forever striving to improve in all three phases, not just running as fast as you can. It’s about uplifting your fellow competitors and supporting the shows. It’s about keeping the sport alive. If you are in it for the ribbon or only to win…. Well, I’m sorry you’ve lost sight of the real goals.

Congratulations to my fellow competitors who won by accomplishing their goals and dreams. Thank you for being so pleasant and so uplifting. What a fun weekend we all had!

Thank you to the managers, officials, volunteers and grounds keepers at Hamilton Farm, and sponsors for keeping the Gladstone combined driving show running. We are so grateful for all your countless hours of hard work.

07/01/2024

06/16/2024

*** LENGTH OF SCHOOLING SESSIONS ***

Following my post from this morning, about Johnnie only working for 15 minutes, as he worked so well, I thought I’d give my opinion on how long horses should be worked for. This is my opinion. It is based on both my experience and understanding as a rider and horsewoman, and my knowledge as an equine vet with 12 years’ experience.

My horses are never, ever, schooled for longer than 30 minutes. This is more than enough time to achieve something, and if you haven’t achieved your goal after 30 minutes, it’s unlikely that you will by plugging on for longer. This 30 minutes includes my warm up, and a couple of short walk breaks.

I haven’t really had lessons for many years, but when I trained with Jennie Loriston-Clarke, and then more recently with Olly Barrs, their lesson times are 40 minutes. This includes warming up and warming down. Frequently, they wouldn’t go on past 30 minutes. Horses learn by repetition, not by grilling them for an hour at a time.

Horses also break easily. They damage ligaments and tendons. Yes, this is often unlucky and frequently caused by a sudden twist in the field. But it’s also frequently caused by too much schooling, especially if the surface is deep, or uneven. Proximal suspensory ligaments are not designed to take the weight of a horse in collected work for hours. Once a PSL is damaged, you are often looking at a lengthy rehab, or surgery to cut the nerve that supplies it (neurectomy). That is not to say that every horse with PSD has been overworked, before I offend anyone!

Horses break more easily when they are tired. A tired horse is more likely to trip, possibly resulting in ligament or tendon damage. Muscle needs some degree of fatigue to condition it, but not to the point of exhaustion.

A horse’s brain also breaks easily. Fatigue can also be mental. Granted, some horses’ brains don’t take much to break, but if a horse becomes stressed or can’t work out what you are asking him that day, then take a 24 hour break, and go for a hack, or just lunge the next day. Or give him a day off.

Most horses will be fit enough for their job, without being ridden 6 days a week. The main issue with lower level competition horses, is that many are fat. Exercise is a great way to get horses to lose weight, true, but not without reducing the amount of grass or hard feed they are receiving. Schooling a fat horse for an hour, will cause joint, tendon, and ligament problems in the long term. Find hills to slowly jog them up, or even walk them up, if you are wanting to exercise more to help with fitness and/or weight loss. Don’t school them more. Trotting endlessly around a flat arena isn’t really going to help with fitness.

If you are going to school, then add plenty of variety. Make sure the horse is working from behind, and not dragging himself along on his forehand. If you don’t enjoy schooling, you will be more inclined to switch off and trot endless 20m circles. So go for a hack first, and then just do ten minutes of intense schooling when you get home. That will keep both human and horse brains fresh!

This is an enormous topic, and it would take me days to cover it all, so this is really a brief summary. Keep schooling sessions short and productive, and if the session is going wrong, take a break!

Photo is of my wonderful Harold, on his lap of honour for winning the Advanced Medium Regionals, to qualify for the National Dressage Championships, a good few years ago now!

Feel free to share.

06/02/2024

Our first show of the season is in the books. We were first in both the prelim single pony CT and HDT. King and I know better what we need to work on for the next event in hopes to better our scores. Our dressage scores were not where I was hoping they would be but feedback from the judges and a few ‘trial and error’ moments let me know where I need to do better as a driver. It showed me where King needs more work, though I’m proud of the progress he’s made. Showing, for me, is not about collecting ribbons or getting the fastest time in obstacles, but always striving to improve our performance and overall connection as a team in ALL sections of combined driving.

Speaking of team, I couldn’t have done this without the support and encouragement of Jasmin and Jason. Jasmin made sure King was braided, shining, and cared for when I was busy memorizing courses. Let’s not forget her navigating skills and helping to keep me on track for cross country! Jason, my handy man, carriage cleaner and personal photographer- not only is he all that, but my number one supporter. Thank you ❤️💚

Shout out to my coach, Hannah, for her help the past few months and words of encouragement and expertise as King and I try to get our act together 😅😁

Special thanks to my parents for holding down the homestead while we were gone. It’s nice not having to worry about the critters at home while we are away!

I cannot forget to thank EVERYONE at elk creek CDE that made the event possible. Everything was so well organized and ran so smoothly. So, THANK YOU!!

Congratulations to Jillian Strohn for the win in the Preliminary Single Pony division driving “Cat King Cole” her British riding pony gelding!

05/31/2024

Proud of King today! First in the prelim pony combined test. HDT dressage and cones tomorrow, marathon Sunday. Grateful for my team for making us shine ❤️

Congratulations to Jillian Strohn taking home the blue ribbon in Preliminary Pony Single!

05/19/2024

Just another set of photos from beautiful days full of driving ❤️

I am booked for training until July/August and accepting deposits to reserve your horses spot for fall/winter. If interested, please contact me before my spots fill up!

05/16/2024

Like crate training a dog, it has its importance and it’s a life lesson your horse should know.

05/09/2024

Do you listen when your horses try to communicate?

Is it “just” a scar?

This horse had a thickened tendon and an osseous growth on his hind medial splint bone, it felt to involve the superficial and deep digital tendons. He was not lame but he was a very unhappy animal with explosive behaviour when pushed beyond his capacity of coping. He also had some serious arthritis in the fetlock joint of this leg.

Not everything that makes a horse miserable makes them lame. This wasn’t the only problem he was coping with and I will talk about those issues further on the patreon page.

Behaviour is communication.

For the full video follow the link to my patreon page.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/is-it-just-scar-103913456?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

Below is a picture of the superficial tendons from both sides of the horse.

04/28/2024

We wouldn’t have our equestrian sports if it wasn’t for our equine partners. But,for many, they continue to be recyclable and trainers don’t even mention their horses names when listing their accolades.

Don’t take your horse for granted ❤️

It’s amazing what horses allow us to do with them.

I used to take it so for granted but my perspective has shifted and I’m continuously in awe of how much these animals will do for us.

Every time they load into a trailer, they’re going against their nature and following us into a situation that feels scary and dangerous.

Being in a small, dark, enclosed space while cars whiz by them. Appearing somewhere new and scary.

Every time we sit on their backs, in the position a predator would attack them from, they’re going against their nature and yet they pack us around and choose to keep us safe.

Every time we tie them up, we’re effectively “trapping” them and putting them in a scenario that would render them less able to escape from danger.

And they let us.

They jump big jumps for us.

They’ll cover many miles for us.

They’ll leave their herd, walking into the discomfort of isolation, to work with us.

They’ll do what we ask, even in times that they shouldn’t.

And they do so with a level of benevolence that humans have yet to learn as a collective species.

There are so many little daily things that we ask of horses that we often take for granted.

Pause a moment and consider how incredible it is that these flight animals have allowed humans, a predator species, to exist alongside them and have performed so many incredible feats for us.

What horses have done for the human race and what they do for us on a daily basis absolutely pales in comparison to any behaviours that they offer that we feel inconvenience or endanger us.

Thank your horse for following you into the darkness, walking away from their innate instincts and doing what you ask instead.

It is incredible what they have done and continue to do for humans.

04/24/2024

Endocrinopathic laminitis/EMS causes a low grade ‘inflammatory state’ with metabolic dysfunction.

The low-grade inflammatory response is linked to the endocrine system which in turn is linked to metabolism.
Endocrinopathic laminitis starts with the release of inflammatory chemicals from the fat pads being a major hormone factory.

A BMI score of 7 or above and a ‘cresty neck’ score higher than 3 to 4 are indicative of a horse with Equine Metabolic Syndrome/IR and immediately predispose the horse to laminitis. The fat pads play a key role in creating a disease state in the following way.

Adipose tissue is now known to express and secrete a variety of bioactive proteins known as adipokines, these send out signals and respond to incoming signals from the central nervous system (CNS). Adipose tissue can store and release energy and can communicate with the gastrointestinal tract via the CNS and is also able to coordinate a variety of biological processes including energy metabolism, neuroendocrine and immune function.

As the fat pads and ‘cresty’ necks get bigger (especially above 3 on the ‘cresty’ neck scoring system), adipocytes increase in both size and number triggering the release of pro-inflammatory agents causing whole body inflammation. As ‘cresty’ necks get hard (often indicating an impending laminitis attack) this is a visible indication that the adipocytes are now engorged and about to die. As they do so a flood of inflammatory chemicals is released.

Other visual signs of a pro-inflammatory state preceding laminitis may include
Prominent growth rings on the hoof wall
Dished hoof wall with flared-out long toes (and often low compacted heals)
Low-grade seedy toe, sub-solar haematomas that may lead to an abscess
Crumbly white line
Flaky soles and hoof edges broken away
"Sore feet" in the front feet. More evident particularly on hard ground
Shortened gait that doesn't improve with exercise and worsens with fast and hard work.

Image from Carter RA, Geor RJ, Burton Staniar W, Cubuitt TA, Harris PA: Apparent adiposity assessed by standardised scoring systems and morphometric measurements in horses and ponies. Vet J 2009, 179:204–210

04/23/2024

What is the diagnosis?

This is a common question we are asked. It is a fair and expected question. The trouble is – I don’t always have an answer for you. Why? Body Lameness is complicated and is rarely clear. In order to fix the body we have to know and understand its complexity. We also must appreciate the concept of biotensegrity.

Small areas of dysfunction can cause lameness and dysfunction in completely different regions of the body. I struggle with periodic left foot pain. I randomly (i.e. no specific event, sound familiar?) get a sharp pressure and pain in my left heal or arch of my foot. It feels like plantar fasciitis. I bought the insoles, I changed shoes- I got mild improvement. I was a 2/5 AAEP lameness. It wasn’t until I saw a human physio that I had relief of my foot pain. She quickly looked at me and explained my foot problem was due to a lower lumbar mild subluxation (my back did not hurt!) which lead to a pull on my fascia and change on my medial tibia which lead to the foot pain. Within one session my foot pain was resolved. I likely would have blocked to my foot. I would have definitely had a response to hoof testers. If I were a horse I would have been offered farrier changes and coffin joint injections, likely with mild improvement. My foot was a secondary issue but a primary concern. My back was the primary source of pain and yet a non-clinical issue. Until you discover the root cause, you will never truly resolve the pain.

Horses are the same. I treat horses based on my clinical exam and diagnostic imaging (to the best of my abilities). However, the important part is treating them based on their biomechanical failure points. It’s important to recognize that the body works as a whole and not individual pieces. If there is one region of pain or dysfunction, you must treat the entire area- not one spot. You also must consider how a horse’s biomechanics and biotensegrity play into their movement, posture and overall athleticism. If they cannot sit and use their lumbar-sacral junction correctly they cannot relieve tension in their thoracic sling. If their shoulder girdle is dysfunctional, you need to treat the entire region- the neck does not work independently from the first few ribs or shoulder. It all works together and in balance of each other. Additionally we must consider things like nutritional deficiency/toxicity, diet plans, exercise routines, saddle fit, gastrointestinal issues and muscle diseases. Often horses have some combination of all of these things. To get the best results or treat the difficult cases, we have to look at all areas.

On top of these concepts, we cannot image everything. The assumption that there is only an issue if you can image it, is ignorance. Necropsies have proven this to me repeatedly. We find so many things- nerve impingements, muscle changes, fascia changes, scar restrictions, disc problems, boney changes - all can be clinically significant and not found in the live horse. This doesn’t mean they aren’t part of the problem. The body can frequently compensate with little things over time, and then with age and addition of injuries sudden decompensation occurs- leading to acute pain on a chronic issue.

So when clients ask me, what was the diagnosis? I frequently say things like shoulder girdle dysfunction, lumbar sacral dysfunction, neuritis, rib cage dysfunction. I may sometimes be able to pinpoint specifics like T16 articular facet arthritis or lumbar intertransverse joint stepping. However, I know these individual things are part of a much larger picture of dysfunction. I treat the dysfunctional segments as a whole and that’s how we can get big results, where owners have been struggling. That’s how we can take a behavioral horse, who passed lameness exams but wasn’t right and turn them quickly into a happy relaxed working horse. Results matter to me more than individual diagnoses.

Image below is the brachial plexus- cannot be imaged well, cannot be blocked out, yet can be a huge source of pain and lameness in a horse. It’s frequently affected by other areas causing incorrect pressure, pull or tension on this region. It can be treated. Until you solve why it’s under incorrect forces, you will never resolve its pain.

04/18/2024

A photo overload from our recent escapades. We’ve been dodging rain drops and spending more time on the hills. I must say, the ponies are all looking quite svelte under all that winter fluff!

04/15/2024

With great sadness, the CAA joins the rest of the carriage community in mourning the loss of CAA Honorary Life Director Gloria Austin, who passed away this afternoon. Our thoughts are with her family and her many, many friends around the world.

03/28/2024

When training horses graduate and depart for home, it's a bittersweet moment for me. On one hand, we achieved our goals together; on the other, saying goodbye is hard! Yet, their departure marks new beginnings and opportunities for new horses to enter my program. Reach out if you are interested in sending your horse for training this spring or summer!

03/18/2024

During our ‘what is combined driving?’ demonstration for the 2024 WNY Equifest. This was the obstacle portion of the demo. Emlyn Clark is my trusty gator 😁