Allison McKenzie Sporthorses

01/27/2025

At this point, I’ve kind of lost count of the number of horses that I’ve examined for people that are interested in purchasing a horse. Prepurchase exams have been sort of a staple ever since I started practicing.  I’ve been fortunate enough to get to examine horses with values from several h...

01/24/2025

Your 2024 Horse of the Year, Thorpedo Anna 🐻

01/18/2025

"When the nosebands are looser when this trial begins, I would earnestly ask that judges take in an impression of the horse using their right-side brain functions, using feelings and impressionistic capacity, to see if the horse is happy and relaxed. The judges may see more horses with slightly open mouths and relaxed mobile tongues. They may see soft chewing of the bit. They may even see the horses’ teeth a little..."

With the FEI clamping down on tight nosebands this year, Kerry Mack takes a closer look at why the new rule has come about, the importance of regulating noseband tightness, and how the new rule may affect judging...

Read more: https://www.equestrianlife.com.au/magazine/issue-108/clampdown-on-overtight-nosebands/

01/18/2025

PSA: It’s FARRIER. Not ferrier. Not furrier. Not feriur.
FARRIER!

Thank you for attending my TED talk.

01/06/2025

We hope to see YOU at WaterLOO! 👊

12/31/2024

12/29/2024

A RECAP ON AACHEN 1995. THE BEGINING OF THE SLIPPERY SLOPE TO WHERE WE ARE AT NOW.
Susan’s Interview with Dr. Reiner Klimke At the Aachen CHIO
July 1995
Susan: I was watching you as you schooled Biotop in the indoor arena this morning, and it was wonderful. I noticed you were working him in a fat snaffle, and I wondered if you could talk about the importance of working in the snaffle for upper level horses.
Klimke: I ride at home only once a week on the double bridle.
Susan: Do you mean for most of your Grand Prix horses, or for this one especially?
Klimke: All. I want to have them very light in my hand. It is easier when they are really "through", and they take the bit and take your hands. Then they are not afraid to come out to the double bridle.
Susan: Biotop seems to be very "out" to the bridle--there is not a lot of overflexing. Klimke: And when he goes in extensions, the neck and frame extend too. And yet there are
horses who make their extensions with overflexed necks and they score just as well... Susan: Can you explain that?
Klimke: Well, when I tell you this, I don't want to sound jealous, but I live for classical riding. Classical riding means that the horse must go: that is, the energy must come through and the horse reaches forward. But the judges don't always mark accordingly. I don't mind; I know what is right. I have been in this sport for nearly 40 years.
Susan: I also saw today that you were doing a lot of work on the basic paces, and simple transitions.
Klimke: Yes. The horse must go forward and he must be happy. If the horse is happy and he trusts you, then you can teach him. If you punish him, that is wrong.
Susan: They never forget. Is there any place for punishment in riding?
Klimke: I hate to punish a horse. It must not be. It can happen to anybody. Sometimes you lose your patience, you try to make the horse a slave. But it is not right. Sometimes you see riders blowing up, even here, with top riders. I say to myself, "Poor horse, I wouldn't like to be in your stable."
Susan: Why does it happen? A lot of these riders will teach and talk about riding classically, and mean to do it, but then it is different here. Is it the pressure?
Klimke: I think everybody wants to win. Perhaps they think if they make a horse tired it will be submissive. Sometimes it may work, but if you really look you can see what is wrong. Some judges don't have a really good eye, and they judge by punishing mistakes, like too many or too few strides in a pirouette, for example.
Susan: Too much counting and not enough...
Klimke: Yes. The principle is: how is the walk, how is the trot, how is the canter, how is the acceptance of the bridle, how does the back work--all of these things. And in addition, the figures. But they deduct too much if a figure is not 100% okay. You see? If you make a pirouette and the horse really uses his hindquarters, and maybe the pirouette is a little big, you should not be given a 5.
Susan: That's a little extreme.
Klimke: Yes. It can be at least a 6, can also be a 7, when the horse really canters classically. Even if the circle was too large, remember that you must deduct from 10. The judge must be able to see the main achievement of a horse and rider, in a movement.
Susan: This brings up another question, and that is--there are some amazing equine athletes here, and some of them get a lot of points because of that. Where are the places in the Grand Prix test where the talent can't cover up the problems with the training?
Klimke: I look only at the way that the horse moves, in all three gaits. He must come from behind, with a swinging back. The head and neck must seek the bit. I hate it if the horse comes behind the vertical and stays there. When the horse is really "through", you must be able to open and close the frame, and keep him reaching into the bit. And right now, in the judging, in my opinion, this doesn't count for enough. But sooner or later, good riding will be rewarded. You must not lose your patience, you see. And don't give up.
Susan: I know that an international horse must have talent for piaffe and passage. At what point in a horse's life can you tell if that talent is there? Can you tell at the very beginning of training?
Klimke: No. But when you can easily do transitions with the horse--when he shows the ability to sit back--and the half halts go through, I like to see that. And there must be the desire to do the piaffe.
Susan: Whose riding do you admire? Klimke: Right now?
Susan: Past or present--anybody.
Klimke: Okay. Nicole in her best time was very good. Of course, now
her horse (Rembrant) is 18. But look back to Stockholm (World
Equestrian Games, 1990) or Barcelona (Olympics, 1992). It was just the
right, wonderful picture. Nice hands. Coming to nearly invisible aids.
There are some other riders who are very good in a test--it is fantastic.
And when you see the same person training...well if somebody else
would do this, then the vet would probably say, "Come on, not here."
But they laugh and say, "So what. We're winning." Riders who ride for medals must try to be an example for classical riding. It is their duty. You cannot talk one way and ride another. Either you talk as you ride, or you explain why you don't.
Susan: Do you allow people to watch you school your horses at home? Klimke: Absolutely. I have nothing to hide. I have seen riders make a fuss about spectators being allowed to watch the schooling at the World Cup Finals. This is wrong. The best thing for the horse is the open door.
Susan: What's wonderful is that you have demonstrated that classical riding can win. Klimke: And I will not stay away from it.

12/22/2024

Being a professional in the horse industry, I have experienced and witnessed a lot of negativity from mean girls to bullies to poor riding to animal abuse to lack of safety to poor sportsmanship and horsemanship.

I’ve forever been an advocate for the opposite of all of the above. I’m not sure it’s earned me any fans. Regardless, I will always stand up for what is right, even if I’m standing alone.

I hope to see…

Less pointing fingers, more helping hands.

Less Instagram, more education.

Less abuse, more understanding.

Less aggression, more compassion.

Less mean girls, more camaraderie.

Less upper level movements, more basics.

Less drilling, more hacking.

Less rollkur, more open throat latches.

Less perfection, more progress.

We need so much progress…

For the love of the sport. For the love of the art. Most importantly, for the love of the horse.

🌻 Cara

📸 Max & Maxwell: Equestrian Photography

12/19/2024

“I don’t need a fancy, professionally fitted saddle, I only hack out and mostly in walk!”

I’m going to quote Dr Ian Bidstrup from a recent webinar he conducted on saddle fit from a specialist spinal vet’s perspective – and for those interested there will be a more in depth look at saddle design next year which will be fascinating.

THE SLOW DEATH

This is the terminology he uses to describe slow rides. Now slow walk is important, super important, when we’re building posture and balance for sure, I’m a big proponent. However, when we consider the pressure under saddles and its effect on the skin and blood flow then we have to think more traditionally and look at the role of the saddle in spreading that pressure.

If you sit on your horse in halt, it’s likely that the pressure under the saddle is already approaching levels that prevent blood flow. I’d have to go and look at a ton of research to try and get down to it but we know it’s not always that easy to get our hand under the front or anywhere else under the saddle, your weight and that of the saddle has to go somewhere!

What happens when we move at a pace that’s faster than walk?

Each part of the back under the saddle is at least partly unloaded at one stage of the stride pattern. In rising trot we shift our weight forward and back in the saddle, from our seatbones to the stirrup bars. In canter the whole saddle rocks a little, and the pressure under the saddle fluctuates and transfers from front to back and back again with each stride. Even sitting trot allows for some relief of pressure under the saddle in all areas within each stride.

Racehorses have pretty grim saddles with teeny areas underneath them, the reason that greater damage isn’t done is because whenever they walk any distance they’re generally going to the gallops where they will get immediate relief from the unrelenting pressure.

Walk does not offer any real alleviation of pressure. A lack of blood flow to the muscle will stop them functioning fully, and may be causing damage to the skin and to the fascia. Fascia are layers of connective tissue that wrap around muscles (you’ve seen it if you’ve prepared or eaten most meats) that are critical to the skeletal and biomechanical health of the horse and obviously the skin is pretty important too!

The long riding experts Be Professional. Look Cool. have also looked at this VERY closely in their work, the effect of saddle pressure on the horse’s back and, for riding long distances daily, back to back, for long periods of time where "mistakes" get hugely magnified. He recommends intervals for dismounting and loosening the girth, and for taking the saddle off. This should be done more than once every day, and that’s WITH doing faster work. Here’s a post of theirs on the subject https://www.facebook.com/beprofessionallookcool/posts/pfbid03369vorLPo4PeMYF49a7V6kp1HYm6qH7ixnywNMqApYvHrPzernmJBD13rCpQpuDyl

Remember, they’re not just poorly designed to carry us and a saddle, the way they function in the wild means that riding them will always compromise them immensely unless we’re super careful about how we load them with weight and how we prepare them to carry that weight.

Give your horse a break – if you’re not doing faster work then your need for a well fitting saddle is just as high, perhaps higher, as those working at supposedly higher levels. Take the fitting of your saddle deadly seriously.