42/ JUNE 2017 THE RIDER Preparing Your Horse For Show Season Yep, it’s the ‘MOST WONDER-


FUL TIME OF THE YEAR’! Show season is almost here! And as the snow melts away, we pile in droves to our local tack shops, stuffing our bags with pretty things with which to shower our favourite show horse. Bright white polos and flashy colourful show blankets and shiny new halters and spray-on coat glossy and sparkling brow bands and the latest must-have for saddles and show gear – all pushed into our little bags in an effort to make our horse stand out in the crowd this show season. But wait! what about the inside of our horse?


While the pretty tack(y) store


baubles help make our horse look ‘showy’ a real horseperson knows that show season is very stressful on the physiology of the horse. Increased train- ing, travel, changes in environment, rou- tine, and separation from the herd can be very stressful on the show horse. This


manifests as a decline in his ability to train and win. Stress #1: The Gut Gastric ulceration and poor di-


gestibility of feeds = a decline in body condition and performance. A good probiotic with an excellent bal- anced diet can stabilize gut function and make sure your horse gets all the nutri- ents needed from the diet. This helps maintain healthy digestion, pH and gas- tric motility. Stress #2: The Brain Does your horse loses his mind


when show season comes around? Herbal supplements are a gentle way to stabilize mood and adaptability to a changing environment, and don’t forget Chamomile tea. Works on ‘mom’ too! Stress #3: The Joints Joint care supplements are an ab-


solute must-have for any serious com- petitor. But not all joint care products are created equal – make sure you are feed-


ing quality certified products that have been independently tested for efficacy and safety. That’s the only way you can be sure that your horse is getting the pro- tection from cartilage damage and in- flammation that is common with competing equine athletes. Stress #4: The Hooves Show season sees the return of


shoes being nailed onto your horse’s hooves, after a winter of going barefoot. These shoes can compromise the quality of your horse’s hooves. Help maintain strong, healthy hooves with a quality hoof care product that contains all the ingredients necessary to grow healthy hoof material, including biotin, methio- nine, lysine, zinc, and essential fatty acids. Stress #5: The Diet A sad reality is that horse owners


tend to add supplements to their horse’s diet to account for the increased de- mands of show season, without paying


attention to changing the horse’s main diet. With big changes in activity and stress there comes a major impact on the dietary re- quirements of the horse. While your horse’s body condition may look fine on the outside, there may be a multitude of micronu- trients that are lacking in his diet, leading to diminished overall well-being and exercise perform- ance. Addition of a quality vita- min and mineral supplement can help balance out micronutrients in your horse’s diet, improving health and optimizing his exer- cise performance. Show season can be an ex-


citing and enjoyable time for horses, but it is also stressful on many physiological systems in the body. Ad- dressing these stresses early on, and making small management changes to account for them can substantively in-


Life is Good... but Horses Make it Better Equine Adventures 101: “Rein In Those Expectations”


By Donna Blanke. “Finding the right horse to


fit a family’s culture and budget is not impossible, but diligent re- search should be done IN AD- VANCE of any action. It avoids extra expenses and frustrations along the way.” restated Deb Sutor, GrandErie Farm & Coun- try’s in-house horse consultant – and my Dunnville co-worker.


Sound logic to be sure, so I


didn’t understand the reminder. After all, wasn’t I standing right there, doing exactly that? I was consulting my consultant. I was doing my research. Deb was a big help when I


brought her a copy of a free horse ad earlier this year and declared my determination to become a horse owner. I’d since confirmed a horse could be happy at my


place, my hubby was on board, and I had subsequently avoided the pitfall of jumping in too soon and adding to our family dynam- ics a member who might be less like my “go-with-the-flow” re- laxed brother, and more like my nervous and jumpy ‘run-for- your-lives-the-sky-is-falling!’ second cousin. I decided I would raise a filly instead - so she could grow


up in my very own nurturing en- vironment and also bond with Lovebug, my newest grandchild. Vacations over, I sought out Deb, to hear some more of her wis- dom. This time is was about the best way to pick a baby horse. “Right! Advance knowledge


is important. So. What do you say? Should I pick out a mare be- fore the birth, or wait until I see the foal?” I repeated. Silently adding – not a nice thought, but an honest one- a secret concern of getting stuck with an ugly horse. Plus I was sure Deb would say there is no such thing. Deb smiled as she replied,


“Whoa there. Which would be more comfortable: a full size or pony? What style of riding do you want to be doing?? What do you want to do together? And how? Slow trails, travelling in country lanes? Do you want her to be confident on the trail with a bunch of other riders, or do you want her to jump, run barrels, or do dressage?” Hmmm. A lot of questions I hadn’t considered. See? I’m so glad I have Deb at the reins, guiding me through my equine adventure. “I’m not sure. I mean, I


HAVE ridden one a few times when I was much younger, but I don’t know what kind of horse they were. One was kind of lar- gish with big kind brown eyes. Another was big too...” Pause. Should I mention to her that I pretty much just sat on that last


one for a half hour taking barn pictures because I couldn’t get him/her/ it to move away from the stall area? “… but sort of cranky. And stubborn. I did see an online mention of one named a Fjord Horse. Is that a good one?” I was hoping my hubby - a history lov- ing Dane- would be less likely to buck at the purchase of an an- cient breed of horse originating in Norway. Deb made a sudden choking


noise from deep in her throat, causing me to look over in alarm. Yes, she indeed looked a little peaked. Toothache? Bug? Mustn’t chance infecting Love- bug the next time I babysit. I took a small step back just in case. “I suggest you reverse back


even further down your trail of horse ownership. To be fully pre- pared before you choose your family’s horse you need horse- manship lessons. Lots and lots of lessons.” Wait. Whaaat?! A volley of questions and replies begin: No horse buying at ALL now? ~ Well just until you know about caring and riding and pref- erences and … ~ How long was THAT going to take? ~ Depends on how much you learn and how fast you. .. ~ But what about my Lovebug and my plan of her shared memories to last a life- time? ~ How old again? ~ Three months. “You have lots of time to learn and buy and teach your


grandbaby. Years in fact.” Deb’s confident smile quelled my fears. And with that, I let go of my dream – temporarily– of owning a horse in the near future. Time to prepare for the long stretch of learning ahead of me. Which also meant a new batch of questions, but I knew right where to start. “Okay so I need the names


of some area Equine Riding Trainers, but first…”, I beckoned her to walk with me to our store’s Greenhawk equine apparel and supplies dept. “I need to make a good first impression” what kind of treats do horses like? Oh! I need your help with getting an outfit for the lessons too.” I spied the sales rack of


clothes. Maybe two outfits. Maybe even… “Do you have any smaller outfits that match the adult sizes? In saaaay….. three to twelve months sizes?” Ahead of me now, Deb


laughs. If you’ve met her, you know that laugh. And then I laughed with her. She knows me so well sometimes. Stay tuned for more in your


next Rider issue, and in the meantime - if you have any of your own equestrian questions or feed & supply needs- feel free to give GrandErie’s horse consult- ant, Deb Sutor, a call.


crease your horse’s well being and help him be a super-star in the show ring. For more information, check out Horse- herbs.com. Sales on now!


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