United States Eventing Association

Day two of the 2013 USEA Annual Meeting and Convention has wrapped, and here is your evening report! In addition to more forums, seminars, and committee meetings tomorrow, the USEA Annual Meeting and Luncheon takes place, with David O'Connor as Keynote Speaker, and the USEA Awards Dinner and Dance kicks off in the evening. Stay tuned!

Feeding Solutions for the High Performance Horse, sponsored by Nutrena
Professor Gayle Reveron of Cargill, which produces Nutrena feed, gave a fantastic talk about feeding the event horse. The general goals for feeding the performance horse are to exceed their genetic potential, give them enough stamina for their event but not “hot,” and to give them the optimal body condition.

She focused on the digestible energy requirements of performance horse. An adult horse in no work at 1,100lbs needs 16,700 calories just to live. In heavy exercise, that same horse would need 26,600 calories just to maintain his weight. She explained that the average horse should be fed about 1.5-2 percent body weight in hay/forage each day, and 80 percent of a horse’s daily diet should be forage.

On the subject of hay, Prof. Reveron asked how many people read their feed labels, and everyone in the room raised their hand. She then asked how many people get their hay tested, and received the exact opposite response. She recommends having hay tested, especially if the hay is supposed to last a whole year or a great length of time. She also explained that horses are ten times more likely to colic from switching hay too quickly than switching grain. When switching hay, even if it is from the same dealer but is just a different cutting, be sure to blend the hay to transition the horse slowly to the new hay.

Another common misconception among horse owners is that every horse, even if it doesn’t have an insulin resistance, needs to be on a low sugar and starch feed. Starches and sugars are energies stored in the skeletal muscles, and are essential to the horse’s ability to run and jump. Without glycogen, the horse can become fatigued and lose stamina at a point in his exercise.

Adult Riders Open Forum
The main discussion at the Adult Riders Open Forum, moderated by Adult Riders Chair Cindy DePorter, was the new Adult Team Challenge taking place at the AEC. For around 20 years, there have been three Chronicle of the Horse Adult Team Challenges every year—Eastern, Western, and Central. In August, the USEA Board of Governors approved incorporating one Adult Team Challenge into the American Eventing Championships, beginning in 2014.

“This showcases adults and gives us a cool venue to go to,” DePorter said.

Each Area will be given freedom to create their own qualification criteria for the Adult Team Challenge: “Each area is so different and you have to let them be different. That is why the Adult Program is so incredibly successful.”

This morning, however, the following minimum qualification requirements were formulated:

1. Three clean cross-country jumping rounds with no jumping penalties. This is in line with the AEC requirements, and the AEC and ATC competitors will be jumping the same courses.

2. Horse and rider must qualify together.

3. The rider may not have received a dangerous riding penalty during the qualification period.

4. The rider must be a current member of the Adult Rider Program by the closing date of the AEC.

5. Non-amateur riders may not have competed in a competition more than one level higher within the current and preceding year.

Each Area may send up to eight teams of four to compete in the ATC. Because a trip to Texas was not previously negotiated into each Area’s budget, the USEA is allowing the Adult Riders to amend their budgets for 2014.

Gerome and Sarah Broussard have kindly extended the Le Samurai Grant that they fund for another year. This is the tenth year they have supported this grant. It provides a stipend of $1,000 to the Adult Rider program in each Area.

Young Event Horse Open Forum
David O’Connor dispersed some of his valuable expertise during the Young Event Horse Open Forum, first discussing the possibility of a multi-discipline Young Horse championships instead of, or in addition to, the Young Event Horse Championships. He discussed the possibilities that a 6- and 7-year-old class would have, so that the emphasis on the young horses did not cease after 5-year-olds. Some horses, he explained, aren’t grown into themselves and ready to shine as 4- and 5-year-olds, but may be very nice by their 6- and 7-year-old year. A 6-year-old class would lend itself to a CIC1* and the 7-year-old, a CIC2*.

He also discussed, in addition to video clips, the importance of the gallop in a four-star horse. Dissecting clips from Rolex Kentucky of Sinead Halpin’s Manoir de Carneville, Lynn Symansky’s Donner, and Andrew Nicholson’s ride on Quimbo, David discussed the stamina of the horses and how the gallop, even near the end of the course, needs to be a pushing gallop off of the hind legs, rather than a pulling gallop with the front legs. The horses that have up-and-down gallops may be great in the show jumping, but due to the inefficiency of that kind of gallop, may not be able to sustain speed over an 11-minute course. Pulling on the front legs also makes those horses more prone to injury.

Intercollegiate Eventing Program Jumpstart
An Intercollegiate Eventing Task Force was created this year, promoting communication between the USEA and universities and colleges with existing eventing clubs or teams. The potential and enthusiasm is certainly there, but there is still work to be done.

A panelist of Rob Burk, USEA Director of Programs, Leslie Threlkeld, Eventing USA Editor, and Leigh Casacelli and Christina Kearse, members of the Clemson Eventing Team led a dynamic discussion this afternoon about the current status of this potential future program.

There is a need to increase the number of existing teams, increase participation, locate and organize team challenges in eventing team rich areas, and set a standardized set of rules and conduct.

The USEA Board of Governors is very interested in the USEA’s involvement in this developing idea. The USEA has offered to promote any college or university that is interested in coming forward. Outside of that, the USEA is still looking at this as a potential official program for the USEA and really want to see the growth of the Intercollegiate Eventing League (www.intercollegiateeventing.com).

Hugh Lochore, the competition director at Chattahoochee Hills, shared his experience hosting an intercollegiate team challenge at a horse trials in October: “From an organizer’s perspective, we had ten or 15 more entries. And it brings a lot of color and atmosphere.”

Chattahoochee Hills is interested in doing an end-of-the-school-year team challenge in conjunction with the three-star in May.

Equestrian Sports Psychology Seminar/Rider Strength and Conditioning Workshop
Everyone in the room was up and moving around, and Daniel Stewart gave the group homework to take away with them. He explained that there is a good physical rider and good mental rider, and that a great rider cannot develop until the two collide.

The first half of his seminar, he showed us various exercises that can be done with minimal equipment – a balance board, jump rope, and medicine ball – all of which work the muscles that are needed while riding. He explains that you can create muscle memory of proper equitation on a horse without actually sitting on one, by doing squats with a flat bag and legs a bit wider than hip width, for instance.

He set up a circuit of exercises that can be done at the barn with a mounting block and lead rope, and explains to trainers that this type of circuit training can be done with students just 15-20 minutes before their lessons.

The second half of his seminar, he discussed the following points to build the mental half of your riding game.

1. Find music motivation – pick a song that pumps you up and helps you focus. It needs to have a positive subliminal message.

2. Find a cue word. Something that reminds you what you need to do.

3. Find a stress stopper. A fidget or routine that helps you relax. Using your fingers helps your brain calm down – braid a small piece of your horse’s mane before leaving the start box, touch a lucky charm.

4. Cadence. A rhythmical sound that helps you relax (the blowing of your horse’s breath, say your cue word every stride, count “one-two, one-two” every step). This puts you in a state of flow that allows you to relax.

5. Pay it forward. Up to 80 percent of everything you hear every day, you will forget. But we remember up to 90 percent of what we teach. If you teach it, you can remember it.

6. Build your brand. Take your song, a cue word, your stress stopper, and your cadence and help it build your identity as your rider.

Vetting the Off-the-Track Thoroughbred, sponsored by Rood and Riddle
Dr. Wes Sutter presented an list of common injuries associated with racehorses and should be taken into consideration when performing pre-purchase exams, especially since eventing demands a higher level of fitness and the ability to withstand greater stresses on joints, tendons, and ligaments.

· Fetlock chip fractures: One of the most common injuries you see in Thoroughbreds. The best prognostic indicators are a clinical exam, checking for heat, swelling, and lameness, and radiographic evidence. “Definitely x-ray the fetlocks if you are considering purchasing an ex-racehorse.”

· Sesamoid fractures: Not exclusive to the racehorse, but common. Evaluate the ligament. If there is a lot of ligament damage, the prognosis is down. Articular (joint) fragments lead to arthritis.

· One of the biggest problems that Sutter has, from a surgical perspective, is communicating to people that a chip itself does not usually cause lameness, like a rock in your shoe. It is the debris that is shed by that chip that makes its way into the synovial cavity that causes inflammation and causes arthritis and cartilage damage. Removing a chip will slow or stop the progression of arthritis, but does little for what is already there.

· Condylar fractures: Common fracture in racing Thoroughbreds. The bone heals well, but consider how much joint damage occurred. Red flags are associated lameness and loss of range of motion.

· Palmar osteochondral disease: Also known as bone bruising on the bottom of the cannon bone. Unique to the racehorse, caused by repetitive stress. It is more common on the front fetlocks but can affect the hind. The spectrum of the injury ranges from bruising to severe subchondral bone and cartilage disease.

· Sesamoiditis: Not unique to the Thoroughbred racehorse but a common cause of poor performance/retirement. Usually refers to disease at the insertion of the suspensory branch. You need to ultrasound the suspensory branch in any horse diagnosed with sasamoiditis. Damage to the suspensory branch is a big red flag.

· Carpal chip fractures: Horses that can’t race as a result of arthritis in the knees often go on to other careers and never look back, but probably less so in eventing than in hunter/jumper. Upper joint chips are usually hyperextension injuries and may be better tolerated. Lower joint chips are from repetitive stress and there may be more evidence of cartilage and bone damage. Dr. Sutter recommends always getting carpal radiographs in any pre-purchase of an OTTB.

· Carpal slab fractures: Spans two joints. Almost always a fair amount of cartilage damage. A fair prognosis depends on the quality of healing and arthritis, but if the horse is a resale project, the existence of screws in the leg may be a negative.

· Superficial digital flexor tendon injuries: Not unique to the TB racehorse. You should be wary of these. There is a high risk of bowed tendons. Red flags are visible thickening and lameness. Most will need a lot of time off and rehab. The prognosis is not as good for eventing as may be for hunter/jumper.

· Suspensory injuries: High risk. Red flags include visible thickening and lameness. If there is any question about the suspensory or tendon, be sure to ultrasound it.

· Scoping the upper airway: This portion of a pre-purchase is often skipped, but Sutter feels it is an important thing to do for an OTTB. The horse may be getting retired from racing as a result of an airway problem. Avoid purchasing a horse that cannot gallop or may require surgery.

o Top things to rule out with an endoscopy: LLHP (paralyzed flapper), chondritis (infection of the flapper), epiglottic entrapment.

Equine Rehab Post Injury, sponsored by Rood and Riddle
Dr. Chris Newton gave a wonderful overview of several different methods and types of equine rehabilitation that are available to horse owners today. There was a wealth of information packed into this seminar, and Newton was a fabulous speaker. By the end of the seminar, the audience was still interested in hearing more and left feeling more informed about the options available to them should their horse sustain an athletic injury. Some of the topics he discussed included:

· Cold Therapy. RICE is the protocol we would like to use with acute inflammation immediately after an injury has occurred. “Unfortunately, we can’t put a Game Ready on all four legs of a horse and ask him to lay in bed with his legs in the air,” Newton said. For acute inflammation related to an injury, in order to prevent cell death, cold therapy is the best and most effective immediate (about 72 hours after injury) treatment.

· Heat Therapy. Heat is best applied after the first 72 hours after injury, once cold therapy has been utilized. This increases circulation and promotes healing in the affected area.

· Electrotherapy, or Electrical Stimulation. This is the second most effective treatment, only to combined heat/cold therapy. This therapy (electrical pulses stimulating the muscles) is not very commonly used in horses, but is common in people. The proper points to stimulate in horses are difficult to reach.

· Iontophoresis allows distribution of medication to local tissue sites.

· Laser Therapy. Proven to be beneficial for chronic pain, but still considered experimental in other treatments.

· Pulsed Electromagnetic Therapy pulses high energy currents around the body. It is not effective for acute pain and inflammation, but stimulates bone healing, reduces pain and edema, and increases cellular activity.

· Shockwave therapy emits high energy sound waves that pass easily through soft tissue. The energy dissipates on contact with dense tissue, like bone. It produces analgesia so can be useful in fast pain relief.

· Therapeutic Ultrasound affects soft tissue up to 2.5cm deep. This therapy increases blood flow and promotes healing, and micro-massages cell membranes to reduce scar tissue and stimulate cellular remodeling, if the appropriate strength of ultrasound is used. He warns that you can cause damage to tissues with high-intensity lasers used improperly.

· Acupuncture. This therapy falls into his list of therapies that should be coupled with other approaches. It is useful in treatment of chronic pain conditions and improving healing.

· Chiropractic medicine is another complementary medicine for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of neuromuscular disorders and their effects on general health.

· Whole Body Vibration helps muscle strength retention and increases circulation if it is a pivotal system of vibration (not linear or side alteration). It has also been shown to increase bone density.

· Massage therapy helps the horse feel loose and elastic, and is best used before exercise, but has not been proven to aid in parameters other than pain (not proven in tissue healing or regeneration of muscle, for instance.

· Nutritional Therapy should be used as part of a holistic approach to rehabilitation. Many disorders can occur or worsen due to improper diet.

· Rehabilitative Exercise is an important factor in conditioning a horse after an injury. Tissues take different lengths of time to heal: Ligaments/tendons take about 18 months, bone about 8-10 weeks, the heart about 6-8 weeks. Lungs and cartilage only worsen, so a carefully thought-out conditioning program is just as important in preventing injury as it is rehabbing one.

· Pharmaceutical Therapies: Anti-inflammatories, joint support therapies, anabolic steroids, IRAP, PRP, and Tildren fall into this category, and these drugs are commonly coupled with one or several of the above therapies.