A PRE Enjoys Eventing
As eventing is the bailiwick of Warmbloods and Thoroughbreds, it’s a little surpris- ing that Carina HGF (by Cameron IX) has been such a standout on the cross-coun- try course. Owned by Eric Smith of Temecula, California and competed by his wife Cindy
Ramirez-Smith, the nine-year-old PRE mare standing about 16 hands is usually the only Iberian horse when she competes at horse trials. But that certainly hasn’t stood in this pair’s way. They qualified and competed in 2015 at the USEA Ameri- can Eventing Championships, placing seventh out of 27 horses at Novice level. In 2016, Carina was Area VI Senior Novice Rider Champion. And their first time out at Training level, the pair won at the Woodside Horse Park Horse Trials. “We didn’t have in mind to buy an unbroken three-year-old PRE and then
jump her,” says Cindy about looking for a horse to compete at the lower levels of eventing. Carina, a smart and confident horse, became almost too quiet and easily bored with flat work so jumping was a great addition to her training. “She picked it up right away. She’s not as powerful as some horses I’ve ridden, but she makes up for it because she’s honest and totally game.” “She had to learn to reach and take a bigger canter stride to make distances and combinations. But she could do it. And she
Carina and Cindy competed at the American Eventing Championships in Texas in 2015. The pair placed 7th out of 27 at Novice.
had to learn to gallop. That’s more because of her nature, which is quiet, than her breeding. Galloping with another horse gave her more incentive. Not that she’s competitive. It’s more ‘why would I care,’” Cindy says with a laughs. This year, Cindy and Carina will again be focusing on dressage training and hopefully competing at Third Level.
SHOEING & HOOF CARE Comparing Iberian and Warmblood feet and shoeing needs can lead to broad generalizations that don’t fit the indi- vidual horse. Just as inappropriate is to use shoeing as a substitute for training or a way to change gaits. Both Maria and Allison have struggled to find the right formulas that did not attempt to turn Iberian feet or movement into those of Warmbloods. Generally, Iberians tend to
have a tidier, more compact, sturdier and smaller foot than most Warmbloods. “They don’t flare as much and tend to grow more symmetrical, and grow down as opposed to grow out,” explains Travis Powell, a certified farrier and active member in the American Association of Profes- sional Farriers. “Warmbloods tend to have wider, flatter feet. But every horse in a breed is going to be different.” Sylvia Loch wrote in her book on the Iberians The Royal Horse of Europe, “Visitors to Spain and Portugal are often surprised by the length of the Iberian horse’s heel and how the smith does not cut it back to the same extent as that of an English, French or German horse. They are also surprised at the depth of sole and the fact that very rarely does the frog of an Iberian horse’s foot come anywhere near the ground.
50 January/February 2018
The answer is simple. The terrain of the Peninsula is singu- larly hard and often very rocky. Over centuries, horses have adapted by walking the wall of the hoof and due to their sloping springy pasterns seem well able to cope with the shock and percussion presented by the hard ground.” A flatter foot with a longer toe and lower heels as a Warm- blood might sport would likely lead to bruised heels on the rocky, dry Spanish terrain. “You can’t change these horses into Warmbloods by opening the heel to develop a wider foot. They are who they are,” Maria says. “With the way their action is, it’s so important that the
foot be balanced and that they land heel to toe. But I find that shoers cut off the toe and bring the foot so far back that they break over even faster,” says Allison. “I don’t want low heels, but the horse needs as much foot on the ground as he can have for stability. If they break over too fast, and the balance isn’t as it should be, you’ll see tension in the neck, shoulder and withers. We’re trying to teach them to come through from the back but when they’re shod this way, they end up protecting their front end.”
TOP: A well shod PRE geld- ing. BOTTOM: Example of the shod feet of a 17.1 hand Dutch Warmblood gelding.
BALANCING SIMILARITIES & DIFFERENCES Two opposing axioms about horses are true. First, a horse is a horse. There are standards of care and training that apply to all horses, regardless of their breed. Second, each horse is an individual. And breeds can be very different in their needs. While basic needs and training techniques apply to both
Iberians and Warmbloods, it’s critical to be aware of the many ways these two types differ. Both can find success in the competitive arena—but each will need to be trained and cared for differently in order to excel. In the end, the ability to balance these two opposing truths is the mark of a keen horseperson.
Shannon Brinkman
Patti Schofler
Ed Haas
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