Horse PT, LLC

24/11/2024

Yes...

What is horse welfare?
Where does it start?
How has it gone so wrong?

The answer to equine welfare lies in education. It lies in a huge way with those people who are involved in the early stages of the horse’s ridden development, understanding that no physically body can be prepared to manage abnormal loads in a few short weeks.

It lies in the knowledge that physical development itself is continuous, and needs to be addressed for the horse’s entire ridden career.

Most horses, particularly those destined for competition careers, are backed, moving in all gaits with a rider, often jumping, in just a few weeks.

Horses were never designed to carry weight, but they can if they are properly conditioned.

They also can if they are not properly conditioned, but not safely or sustainably and this is a big problem.

Due to things like tradition, time restrictions, costs, knowledge (or lack of), all too few horses are conditioned in such a way that they can avoid being damaged by the abnormal act of bearing weight.

Without this foundation, the likelihood of damage to the horse is high and, contrary to a lot of people’s views, just waiting longer to start them isn’t the answer.

Whether the horse is 3 or 6 years old when it’s started, 4-6 weeks of work is just not enough time for muscles to be developed to a level where they can support the horse, the rider, the tack, the motion, without developing compensation patterns.

It is these compensation patterns that, over time, lead to structural damage. Arthritic changes, tendon and ligament strains, nerve compression and so on are usually direct results of long term compensation patterns, unless caused by acute, direct trauma.

The answer to equine welfare lies in education. It lies in those people who are involved in the early stages of the horse’s development understanding that no physically body can be prepared to manage abnormal loads in a few short weeks. It lies in accepting that developing a horse to be a safe riding horse takes time. 6 months should be the minimum of conditioning time from first backing to being considered a “riding” horse, then another 18 months before any significant physical demands are made on their developing bodies.

If we thought more about this and less about getting to the competition, the young horse qualifiers, the sales value, horse welfare would take a significant step in a better direction.

09/11/2024

Non-biological systems like cars and trucks need routine maintenance because they don't have regenerative tissue. Unless they are compromised, horses don't need joint injections. They need athletic training that considers healthy loading of the joint tissues. If they are compromised, they need athletic training that considers healthy loading of the joint tissues, not joint injections.

14/08/2024

27/07/2024

In light of the uproar in Olympic dressage we just want to put this out there... Pain and intimidation are out of the question at Horse PT Dressage. We offer the alternatives to forceful riding and training because force, pain and fear lead to lameness. We lead horses to soundness.

21/07/2024

Piaffe, watercolor, 2024, 21 x 15 cm

I bet this doesn't need to be explained to horse people, yet for those that are not privy to equestrian terminology a simple definition of piaffe as a high dressage movement is needed. High coordination of muscles allowing for balance control is required both from the horse and his rider. It is always a team effort when working with horses on any movement.

You can see my other cartoons here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.892070647798939&type=3

30/06/2024

Finally, someone looked at the necks of sound horses compared to lame horses! It might be time to re-think ECVM as a cause of lameness. https://beva.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/evj.14127?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR10Z3kLo5shPhlKMVLWX7GuuhEeIQlGeXwtf-IJU-DZzkFsP3xA_-CfBXg_aem_iDmlF_WPfHYH-lENoGIsAw

Background There is controversy about the clinical relevance of congenital variants of the ventral laminae of the sixth (C6) and seventh (C7) cervical vertebrae and their relationship with other rad...

23/06/2024

Pleased to see the USEF step up rules on horse abuse. I hope this will trickle down to local authorities, most of whom still won't prosecute clear abuse.

"The new rule still covers unethical treatment of a horse at a USEF-licensed or -endorsed competition, but now also includes unethical treatment that happens elsewhere after Nov. 30.

GR838 also outlines examples of unethical treatment of a horse, including:

Misuse or excessive use of a whip, spurs or bit
Misuse of any equipment or device, including tack
Hyper- or hyposensitization of any physical part of a covered horse to enhance performance
Using devices or objects to enhance a covered horse’s performance based on fear
Training, riding or competing a covered horse with raw, bleeding or irritated skin or welts consisted with excessive, persistent or inappropriate use of equipment, including spurs
Continued riding, driving or longeing an obviously exhausted, lame or injured covered horse"

https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/usef-expands-its-authority-to-police-horse-welfare-beyond-the-show-grounds/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR3cShFsCUSh2GQfHTx5tSif7yLRG521qOf-uNi6WUu2Qjvaycvr5zPKJP4_aem_D2ZJJk7g9geDod2j6L2ZTA #:~:text=A%20rewrite%20of%20GR838%2C%20which,grounds%2C%20including%20at%20home%20facilities

At its annual mid-year board of directors meeting, held this week in Lexington, Kentucky, the U.S. Equestrian Federation approved expanding its reach with a rule change that will give it jurisdiction over horse welfare outside the realm of competitions, and also require members to report abuse when....

17/03/2024

Still no action from the FEI on this slippery horse abuser, and USDF is apparently not taking it very seriously either. (See article below) At least a few competitors and trainers are speaking out, but not all. Competition dressage has become so much like Big Lick it is disgusting: the use of pain and gadgets to create unnatural and physically damaging leg movements. I'm disgusted, beyond disgusted at this point.

https://www.ridehesten.com/nyheder/gigantisk-selvmal-til-usdf/109388?fbclid=IwAR1hmjwJ0vhMoZ7FWBnHrY4ywsblidQrVrSo_zJdbUPjqnVo9jmDkRBW9hw

Translation below:

When American riders receive the new USDF membership magazine from their equestrian federation, on the first page they find a full-page ad for Dr Cesar Parra Dressage Sport. They see this as a mockery of the sport

Copyright Ridehesten.com

In the last few weeks, among dressage riders and trainers in Wellington, Florida, there has been an enormous dissatisfaction with the USDF (United States Dressage Federation).

The reason for this is the urgent case against Cesar Parra, and no one understands why the USDF does not make a statement in the case. Every week on the Global Dressage circuit it is loudly debated and everyone seems to more or less agree that the USDF is coming off as a completely worthless organization.

During these hours, Facebook overflows with posts from frustrated equestrian enthusiasts. This is because the USDF has issued their membership magazine, where a big-smiling Cesar Parra appears with a full-page ad on the inside cover.

Cesar Parra's ad in USDF's member magazine. Photo: PrivateCopyright Ridehesten.comCesar Parra's ad in USDF's member magazine. Photo: Private
Dream - Believe - Achieve, Enjoying the journey..... Such is Parra's headline in the ad which, everyone feels, is a huge mockery of equestrian sport and not least of all Adam Steffen-Smienk and Sven Smienk, who were the two that got things rolling. Adam himself has commented on the matter and says:

- It's really a shame that Sven and I sacrificed ourselves for nothing .

Board member George Williams has replied that the magazine was printed before the case took off, but people don't buy it. They believe that the ad should have been removed.

In reality, perhaps it should be considered a good thing that they did not choose to retract the magazine or remove the ad, because now the fire has been rekindled and the petition to ban Cesar Parra for life has undoubtedly been renewed.

The horse people in Wellington hope that there will now be further pressure on the industry organisations, so that the equestrian sport is a step forward towards better horse welfare.

Når amerikanske ryttere modtager det nye USDF-medlemsblad fra deres rideforbund, finder de på første opslag en helsidesannonce for Dr Cesar Parra Dressage Sport. Det oplever de som en hån mod sporten

26/02/2024