TALK OF THE NATION (c, 2, Quality Road–She's Not Here {MGSW, $450,453}, by Street Cry {Ire}) failed to meet his reserve on a final bid of $470,000 after breezing in :10.1 at the Fasig-Tipton Gulfstream Sale earlier this spring. Given the 4-5 nod in this scratched-down field of just three, Talk of the Nation took his time getting into stride after bumping with Nieuwendyk (Nyquist) shortly after the break. Third of the trio, he kept outside in the clear up the backstretch run before bidding from the four path around the turn as the half went in :47.47. On the lead passing the quarter pole, Talk of the Nation wasted no time asserting himself down the lane, drawing away from his two rivals to win by a geared-down 4 1/2 lengths. Assertive Attitude (Violence) led home Nieuwendyk to be a narrow second. From the family of Horse of the Year Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}) and MGISW Balance (Thunder Gulch), Talk of the Nation has a yearling half-sister, Flight or Fantasy (Uncle Mo), and a weanling half-brother by Improbable. She's Not Here was bred back to WinStar's stallion for the 2023 season. Sales History: $470,000 RNA 2yo '22 FTFMAR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $46,750. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

O-Allen Stable, Inc.; B-Chc Inc. (KY); T-Claude R. McGaughey III.

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And the sport has itself welcomed corresponding gains from their presence: John's judgement, seasoned by a stellar business career, has been drafted by numerous regulatory and benevolent bodies; Jerry's love of animals, besides prompting service of her own, has forged a special place in the community of horsemen; and now, in an unexpected sequel, they find themselves creating a living legacy in a young stallion with the potential to seize an important moment in the evolution of American grass racing.

But first let's go back to that wastebasket. It wasn't their first mailshot from Barry Irwin at Clover Racing and John, wearily going through the post after another long day at work, had promptly disposed of this postcard the same way.

“More junk mail,” he said.

“Wait a minute,” said Jerry, fishing it out again. “It says: 'You too can own a Thoroughbred racehorse.' Isn't that what we're always talking about doing?”

Well, yes it was. So they dipped their toes. A couple of their early experiments never got anywhere, and the first to do so had to be retired after winning her graded stakes debut. But they were impressed with the way the syndicate was run and stayed aboard as it evolved into Team Valor–where they would enjoy an especially thrilling ride with that tireless globetrotter Star of Cozzene (Cozzene).

“You know, the camaraderie with the other people in the syndicate was great,” John reflects. “But most importantly, we learned a lot. If you're just getting into horseracing, a syndicate is a great way to start; a great learning exp

erience.”

By the time Star of Cozzene was sold to Japan, John was approaching the end of a spectacular stint as CEO of Mattel. When he took the helm in 1987, Barbie and her friends were in big trouble: the company had just soaked up a loss of $113 million. As early as 1990, John had turned things round for a record $91-million profit. In between, unsurprisingly to those in our industry who have since come to appreciate his affability and teamwork, he had prioritized morale at workshop level. He became a familiar daily presence around headquarters: eating in the cafeteria, encouraging questions, expanding horizons.

John Amerman at Santa Anita last year | Benoit

John stood down as CEO in 1997, having radically expanded international trade, and in the preceding couple of years he and Jerry had resolved to branch out into their own racing stable. Asked whether he adapted any lessons from his Mattel experience to this new enterprise, John doesn't hesitate.

“Good people,” he says. “If I think back to my days at Mattel, we had terrific people. And horseracing is a complicated sport. It's very spread out. You really have to rely on others, to find the right mix. If you have good people working on your behalf, it makes things a lot simpler. If you're trying to do these things without knowing who the good people are, and knowing their backgrounds, then it just becomes so much harder for the horse. And all the way through we've been very blessed by having excellent support people.”

Take, for instance, bloodstock agent Bob Feld. They had observed his expertise with the syndicates, and he was duly enlisted to help lay foundations for their stable. One inspired early find was GI Hollywood Futurity winner Siphonic (Siphon {Brz}), whose loss to a heart attack was a harrowing moment for the Amermans. But there was a happier sequel for another Grade I winner acquired by Feld as a yearling, Balance (Thunder Gulch), whose A.P. Indy colt made $4.2 million as a yearling after her half-sister proved to be none other than Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}).

“I still think Siphonic was probably the best we ever had,” Jerry says. “What happened to him was one of the most painful things that we have experienced. But Bob has been invaluable. We've been buying horses together a long time, since the very beginning, really. Frankly, I tend to look at the whole horse and, if the whole picture looks good to me, I'll say 'yea'. But Bob will say, 'No, wait, there's a little problem here.'”

Balance | Sarah Andrew

Jerry's own eye for a horse, and curiosity as a breeder, was first stimulated by German Shepherds.

“At times I've had as many as four of those dogs in my house!” she says. “And several have been champions. And I tell you, it's been a great help watching horses. Because if you know Shepherds, movement is the big thing: their trot is incredible. And I've found that sharpens your eye for looking at how horses move, too.”

That was evidently one key to Jerry's warm relationship with an equally passionate dog owner, in his case Australian Shepherds. Because the surest way for any human being to get on the same wavelength as the late Bobby Frankel was to share his devotion to animals.

“I think Bobby liked us not because of me, but because of Jerry!” says John with a chuckle. “She just loves horses, so did he, and they just got along so well. Bobby took us to great heights. I think we've had close to 30 Grade I wins and Bobby was involved with so many of them. Just an amazing horseman. I remember one time on the backstretch Bobby was talking to me and, without even turning his head, just out of the side of his eye, he was able to call out to his assistant, 'Hey, Humberto, that horse is off in the back!'”

John will always remember Frankel calling to ask: “Would you like to buy a Grade I horse?”

“Well, sure.”

“There's only one catch. She's in Australia.”

“Well,” John said. “I guess we've got planes now.”

And that turned out to be their first elite runner: triple Grade I winner Happyanunoit (NZ) (Yachtie {Aus}). But the introduction for which the Amermans will always be most grateful was to Mill Ridge: initially to the late Alice Chandler and subsequently to her esteemed son and grandson, Headley and Price Bell. This was in 1998, still early days for their stable, and began with a partnership in a Gone West colt that had lacked commercial size.

“Bobby said, 'You need to go and talk to Alice Chandler,'” Jerry recalls. “Of course we knew about her, we'd bought yearlings from Mill Ridge, so we went and introduced ourselves. And it turned out she had this yearling, as she said: 'I just can't throw him to the wolves at the sale.' I said, 'Of course you can't.'

“So we went halves on that colt, who didn't do anything but bring us together. Which was so wonderful for us, because there was nobody like Alice. She should be everybody's hero. I admired her tremendously. And now I feel I have family in Kentucky: Alice was a terrible loss but Headley and Price are terrific, and it's so nice that Oscar can stand at the same farm where he was born.”

Ah yes: Oscar! Their premier racetrack earner, with nearly $2.5 million, Oscar Performance was homebred from Devine Actress (Theatrical {Ire}), who had been acquired after winning a maiden for another owner in the Dave Hofmans barn.

Oscar Performance (blaze) heads for home in the Woodbine Mile | Michael Burns

Headley and Price have now launched him as a stallion at a critical moment for turf breeding in the Bluegrass, following the loss of his own sire Kitten's Joy and also English Channel. Their farm long had international influence as home to Gone West and Diesis (GB), and the way Oscar Performance has started–with four graded-stakes performers already, from 11 first-crop winners to date–is highly auspicious, given how he continued to thrive after winning at the Breeders' Cup as a juvenile.

“Oscar has been pretty precocious, with winners spread all over the place,” John remarks. “But we were very proud, when he was running, that he could win Grade Is at two, three and four. Though from my perspective the best race he ever ran was the [GIII] Poker, where he tied the world record for a mile in 1:31.23. He just blew them away. He was a tremendous horse, and now he's proving it as a stallion as well.

“Full credit to Mill Ridge. They hadn't had a stallion for a few years so we're just very pleased with what has happened. He's really prospered and it's been such fun, this late summer and fall, watching all the Oscar babies run. I don't think we ever thought having a stallion could be this exciting, but it's terrific. It's almost like they're your own, when you're watching them. And we're looking forward to the Breeders' Cup because, knock wood, we think he's going to have quite a few in the turf races.”

Coffee Clique | Horsephotos

Needless to say, the Amermans have supported the horse with their own mares, where compatible. Developing their own families has been one of the joys of their program, and the stock nowadays grazing Mill Ridge include fourth generation foals tracing to Society Dream (Fr) (Arakad {Fr}), imported by Neil Drysdale to win them a stake in California. Her daughter Miss Chapin (Royal Academy) was a sparkling winner on her only start for Frankel and, though now 21, has delivered consecutive sons for Oscar Performance. Previously Miss Chapin had produced millionaire Coffee Clique (Medaglia d'Oro), winner of the GI Just a Game S.; while another daughter, graded stakes-placed Royal Fury (Langfuhr), now has her first foal up and running in Furiously, a son of Oscar Performance who recently broke his maiden for Graham Motion.

Coffee Clique was actually culled at the Keeneland November Sale last year, in one of those disciplined decisions required of every elite program. The Amermans try to keep the broodmare band to around 15, and everyone knows that sales are essential to each new cycle–as, for instance, when shock GI Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Adoration (Honor Grades) was cashed in to Demi O'Byrne for $3.1 million at the equivalent auction in 2007.

This time round their star offering is imported GII Edgewood S. winner Gift List (GB) (Bated Breath {GB}).

“We're always interested in mares and fillies from Europe, as we feel there are good opportunities for racing and a residual value, too,” John explains. “And it has turned out that way with Gift List. We looked at her races in Britain and I thought she showed a tremendous kick. So we brought her over and she ran second in the [GII] Appalachian S. and then won the Grade II at Churchill by four and a half. We were on top of the world, to see her do that against horses like Aunt Pearl (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}). Unfortunately she then got a chip, and didn't really return as well as we thought she might, but she's obviously very talented.”

Gift List | Coady

“It's pretty hard to let any mare go, when you have a stallion like Oscar,” admits Jerry. “But I do know that sometimes you have to.”

After many decades of practice, the Amermans have learned to trust each other's judgement: inevitably there are times when one spouse has to proceed with a purchase even when the other is not available to sign it off. But that's where the reliable caliber of their counsel is so crucial: whether Headley and Price Bell, or Bob Feld, or trainers like Brian Lynch, who handled Oscar Performance so well; or their valued pre-trainer in Ocala, Barry Berkelhammer.

And, with a profound sense of gratitude for their Turf adventure, both Amermans have reciprocated with their own experience and judgement. John has been on many boards, including as a steward of The Jockey Club, and especially enjoyed seven years with the American Graded Stakes Committee; while Jerry served on the University of Kentucky Gluck Equine Research Foundation. And then there's Peacefield Farm, their aptly named rehab sanctuary at Temecula, California, for racetrack warriors that require patching up.

“The last few years we had Beholder (Henny Hughes) here, and Ce Ce (Elusive Quality), and United (Giant's Causeway),” John says. “Many good horses that have been banged up a little bit have come here before going back to the track and excelling, so we're proud of that.”

It tells you everything that the race John singles out as his highlight, with Oscar Performance, was one he couldn't even bring himself to watch.

“I stood behind him,” Jerry remembers with a laugh. “And had to tell him what was happening.”

“But that's it, you get so involved,” John replies. “It's such an incredible sport. The lows are not fun, but the highs are so high. We got involved when I was just about to retire: after working for many years, I thought, 'Well, now I'm going to sit back and rest.' I soon discovered that running a business had been easy. It was horseracing that was really difficult. But it's been a very gratifying experience, and a very rewarding one. We just feel blessed. I'm so pleased that Jerry took that card back out of the wastebasket.”

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Which makes the story of how Confidence Game and his owners' paths crossed all the more fascinating.

“What's crazy is that I wasn't even planning on buying horses at that sale. For this year, I've already got our formation documents done for 2022, everything is rolling, everything is done. I did not have one thing done,” Godby admitted, recounting the push to buy a new prospect. “I had some of my core partners reach out like 'Are we going to get a horse this year?' and we really weren't planning on it. They really forced me to do it.”

With no way of calming the mounting calls beyond getting them the horse they wanted, he reached out to Keith Desormeaux, the partnership's sole trainer and bloodstock agent. The instructions were simple: just find something that could run.

“I called Keith and I said 'Look, I don't have anything formalized, but these guys want to buy at least one horse, for now, and I'll see how much interest [they'd have later].' Just find me one.”

The call was on short notice; only a day or two before Desormeaux purchased HIP 1462 for $25,000, and in his name, not the partnership. Godby happened to glance through the results to see if the bloodstock agent bought anything when he noticed the record come up, and immediately called his long-time friend. Was that horse spoken for by another group? No, was the response.

Well, he was now.

Out of Eblouissante (Bernardini), perhaps best known for who her sister is–as goes the story for most half-siblings to super stars–the partnership's new colt had a lot to offer on paper. The late April foal was the most recent at racing age for his dam, who claims not only a Broodmare of the Year on the bottom, but also the genetic advantage of the late Bernardini's now-known penchant as a broodmare sire.

On the top of the page, Candy Ride (Arg) was not only champion miler in Argentina but brought that wicked speed to the States, setting a new track-record in the GI Pacific Classic, and has since gone on to throw seven champions himself; names like Gun Runner, Shared Belief, and Game Winner coming to the forefront.

But it wasn't Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}) nor Balance (Thunder Gulch) nor the sparkling Candy Ride sons which ultimately caught Godby's attention, but rather a sister who flew under the radar: Where's Bailey (Aljabar).

“It wasn't just the page, obviously that speaks for itself,” he said, matter-of-factly. “But it was more about the connections. Zenyatta was broke and trained at Mayberry Farm in Ocala by April Mayberry, and that's where all of our horses are broke. And the second part of that was Where's Bailey. Where's Bailey is a horse Keith picked out several years back, bought her for $4,000 at the Keeneland sale. She's named after his son [Bailey]. There's too much connection here.”

The colt, seemingly a stroke of good luck straight from the karmic arc of the universe itself, was sent to said farm in Florida for his early training, and April Mayberry kept Godby well-informed of her appraisals of the last-minute addition.

My Boy Jack with Keith Desormeaux on the shank | Coady Photography

“She really, really liked [Confidence Game] at the farm as he was developing. You know, it's such a process. My Boy Jack, our Derby horse, was a favorite down there, but he wasn't…people weren't just falling all over him,” Godby said, not taking any time to mince words. “But she was always very positive about Confidence Game. He was always going forward, he was smart.”

When the horse got to Desormeaux's barn, there wasn't a dramatic up-tick of new things being asked of him. Keith Desormeaux, as Godby described him, was an old-school horseman who believed in starting a horse slow; building the miles and the foundation with jogs, gallops, slow three furlong works, and then branching into more intense requirements. And the more they asked of Confidence Game, the more he gave, and the more Desormeaux liked what he saw.

“We were so excited for his first race…and he loses first-out by 13 lengths to Damon's Mound,” he said with a chuckle. “I knew we had something special off that performance. The new partners focused on getting beaten by 13 lengths, but I knew this guy was the real deal. Of course, Damon's Mound is a monster, which he proved in the Saratoga Special.”

That referenced first race was a lesson Confidence Game needed, even if it wasn't immediately evident to all at the time. He broke a step slow, not unusual for debuters, and was asked to close from seventh in a six furlong sprint. Given the circumstances, third beaten a half-length for second wasn't the worst outcome, considering the winner's later performance in the GII Saratoga Special.

For the second start, there would be no such trouble after the break, no pack or kickback to contend with; once Confidence Game seized early command, it would not be ceded. Five lengths separated their runner from his nearest competitor in the end.

“I got to tell you, we've been in some big races and had some great racehorses through the years, but we've never been this nervous and excited coming into a race, nonetheless a maiden special weight. We just hoped that he'd prove what we thought and knew of his talent, and he certainly did that.”

Confidence Game emerged from that effort strong and ready for more, a positive sign for the future as the next target will be the GIII Iroquois S. at Churchill Downs. Godby intends to be there in-person this time, and expects a bigger crowd for the colt's third trip to post as well.

“I started this partnership because I wanted to introduce this incredible sport to as many people as I could,” he said, adding that three of his 'brand new' partners had come down from Chicago especially for the race, and they'd had a blast. “Going in the paddock, ending up winning, which tops it off, and getting their picture taken; it's the experience. Keeping them updated and informed and to see their excitement–that experience is why I do this.”

Of course, without their trainer, he readily admits that the moments he wants to create for the partners would not be possible. Desormeaux's talent as a conditioner and his eye for horses went under appreciated for a long time, he claims, but once the funds flowed in, the horsemanship became readily obvious. It was a rise through the rankings that Godby has enjoyed playing witness to.

“I tell the partners, especially the new ones, you are buying entertainment and this whole thing is driven 100 percent by him. He picks the athletes out, and trains them. I'm just the guy who organizes things and takes care of the back end.”

My Boy Jack wins Stonestreet Lexington; Godby (second from right) | Coady Photography

The friendship between the two goes back a ways to the humblest of beginnings. On a return home to Texas after failing as a commercial real estate salesman in California, Godby decided to work for his father's trainer–who then owned a stakes horse at Louisiana Downs–and learn the industry from the ground up. He recounts being approached by a friendly face, and the pair struck up conversation on his first day; Godby was grooming and Desormeaux cruising the shed row, and they became friends. They'd really hit it off, playing tennis or basketball nightly when time allowed.

For Godby, in the end, it was not to be. He lasted six months before returning to Texas and starting his transportation company, got married and raised a family. In the years following, he faithfully sent partners Desormeaux's way but it wasn't until 2010 where the old dream became real again. Desormeaux reached out with a proposition to start a claiming group, and it took off from there.

Several years later, and with multiple graded stakes-winner My Boy Jack (Creative Cause), Grade I-placed Danette (Curlin), and stakes-winner Candy Raid (Candy Ride {Arg}) to tally, Don't Tell My Wife Stables has another talented, promising runner in the hands of a master at his craft. And despite the name, yes, the wives do know.

“We weren't doing it to be cute or hide it from our wives…but we get so many compliments about that name, 100% positive. The one person who hates the name is Keith Desormeaux.”

The origin came from the push to formalize for the LLC designation. No one had any great ideas, but co-founder Rob Slack suggested that perhaps it was already named. Godby says one of their core partners ended almost every conference call with 'Geez, just don't tell my wife. She's going to kill me.' and the name just stuck. Their trainer's hesitation with it aside, the long-reaching respect has created a firm, steady foundation and will continue to bear fruit until he is ready to call it a career.

“[Keith]'s respected, he's old school. I love him as a brother, so to speak. We've been around each other a long time. So, until he stops training, or whenever that day comes, he's going to be our trainer, for sure.”

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Sunday, May 22, 2022
2nd-TOK, ¥9,900,000 ($77k), Maiden, 3yo, 1600m
CHAMP DE MARS (JPN) (c, 3, Arrogate–Pressurizing, by Henrythenavigator) is the first Japanese-foaled produce for her dam, an unraced half-sister to the legendary Zenyatta (Street Cry {Ire}) and MGISW Balance (Thunder Gulch), who was bought back on a bid of $875K when offered at the 2017 Fasig-Tipton November Sale after which she was acquired by Northern Farm. Pressurizing produced a filly by Speightstown in 2018 and was among the first book of mares bred to Arrogate before being exported to Japan. Pressurizing's current 2-year-old, a colt by Kizuna (Jpn), fetched better than $907K at last year's JRHA Select Sale. Damian Lane has the call on Champ de Mars. B-Northern Farm

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Riders who can roll their pelvis from side to side without moving their body or legs are more likely to have horses that are happy and perform well. Riders can test this unmounted, by sitting on an exercise ball and rolling their hips toward their ribs; the idea is that those with the ability to roll the pelvis well will be able to do this without moving their legs or upper body. 

Dr. Mette Uldahl of Vejle Hestepraksis in Denmark and the country's head Fédération Equestre Internationale veterinarian recently worked with a research team to study the relationship between balance and riding success. The researchers asked 20 female dressage riders to sit on an inflated exercise ball. They were then asked to roll the ball left, right and in circles using only their pelvis without engaging their legs or upper body. The team also asked the riders to balance on the ball, with legs lifted and arms outstretched, for 30 seconds. 

The researchers also investigated the rider's performance and their horse's heart rate, stress level, and behavior during a dressage test ridden in an indoor arena. A dressage judge also scored each pair, offering notes on the duo's quality and harmony. 

The scientists found that riders' ability to roll the exercise ball correlated with their quality and harmony score. The team also found that riders with a greater ability to balance themselves on an exercise ball without using their feet actually earned lower quality and harmony scores. These riders' horses also showed more conflict behaviors while being ridden. 

The researchers conclude that though balance is important in riding and should be practiced, it's important that the type of balance practiced is that which best creates harmony with the horse.

Read more at The Horse. 

The post Roll On: Balance Not Only Predictor Of Success For Horseback Riding  appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a common disability among children, characterized by abnormal gait patterns and the inability to maintain posture and balance. While the condition is incurable, physical therapy treatments can go a long way in improving movement and balance. One such treatment approach is hippotherapy (HPOT), which uses horseback riding to improve functional mobility in children with CP. Although supported by scientific studies as an effective treatment approach for (CP), there is, unfortunately, little data concerning how HPOT results in improvement.

Recently, a team of researchers from Korea and the United States addressed this question, investigating physical interaction metrics between horses and children with CP during HPOT. “My original research interests lie in the rehabilitation of people with neurological impairment, specifically gait and balance. However, I did not know about hippotherapy until  2016. After realizing how effective it is in treating children with CP, I was motivated to explore it further,” explains Dr. Pilwon Hur, who headed the study. This paper was made available online on September 6, 2021, and was published in Volume 18 Issue 132 of the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation. 

The research team studied four children with CP over the course of eight physical therapy sessions. They placed sensors on the horses and children to record their movements and track their acceleration and angular velocity. They found that the data from the horses and children began to resemble each other as time progressed, indicating a synchronization between the horse and the rider. They also gave the children mobility tests after each session and observed improvement in their motor skills at the end of the experiment.

“We found that physical interaction between the children with CP and the horses, characterized by the children adapting to the horse's movement and vice versa, is extremely important for the rehabilitation to be effective,” says Dr. Hur.

Excited by these findings, the team hopes their work will provide a baseline for further research on HPOT. “To the best of my knowledge, ours is the first study to quantify these interactions and relate them to effectiveness,” says Dr. Hur. “Such an understanding would help us optimize physical therapy programs, improving the quality of life for children with CP.”

The post Scientists Confirm Horseback Riding A Viable Mobility Treatment For Cerebral Palsy appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Meyerhoff first tried riding in the bare bones saddle last fall, on Fortuna, another of his competition mounts. He found that the petite mare, who was often back sore, went much more comfortable in the race training saddle. Meyerhoff says that the saddle allows him to truly feel his horse—all along their back—and forces him to ride better, as there is a very specific area of the saddle where he must ride to stay in balance. He compares riding in the treeless race training saddle to riding bareback, but with stirrups.

Meyerhoff first used the unusual saddle in competition at the Tryon CCI4*-L in both dressage and showjumping, but he competed in the cross-country phase of the Kentucky event in the saddle as well. A formidable cross-country course in a traditional saddle, the weather made conditions even trickier, but Meyerhoff persevered in his unconventional tack to finish with no jumping faults and just 31.2 seconds outside of optimum time.

Read more at Eventing Nation.

The post A Racing Saddle On The Cross Country Course? Meyerhoff Shows How It’s Done appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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A research team led by Dr. Robert Colborne created a horse trailer that allowed them to study how a horse's body moves to compensate for trailer movement. They found that a horse's legs play a key role in dampening road vibrations from the trailer floor and helping a horse maintain his balance.

The study trailer had fitted force plates that allowed researchers to measure precisely how a horse moves in response to braking, turning, acceleration, and constant speed horses experience on a typical trailer trip. Two study horses were taken on a 56-mile trip that took 58 minutes to complete; it covered both city and country roads.

They discovered that in total, the horse's bodies moved over 228  and 320 feet vertically during the trip. Though these values seem large, the horse's movement was still less than the vertical movement of the trailer floor. This indicates that horse's use their legs as springs to dampen trailer vibrations.

The horses also adjusted their bodies horizontally to deal with braking. The team found that the horses moved 745 and 797 feet horizontally over the course of the trip. The horses swayed over 11 inches back and forth and side to side during the trip.

It is expected that as horses become more seasoned travelers that their energy expenditure to stay upright and maintain balance would decrease.

Read more here.  

The post Study Finds That Trailering Is A Full-Body Workout For Horses appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Proper nutrition will give a horse the building blocks he needs to have quality feet. Sean recommends good hay, clean water and a ration balancer, and he discourages owners and caretakers from adding supplements just to use them if they claim they can make a difference in hoof quality. He reminds horse owners and caretakers to treat each horse like an individual and that feeding programs aren't one size fits all.

First and foremost, horses shouldn't stand for extended periods of time in mud or wet conditions, Sean says. He also recommends that horses not be bathed daily, which can strip hooves of oil essential to keeping them healthy. Sean also isn't a fan of topical hoof treatments, noting that a dry environment is more essential than anything that could be applied to the hooves.

Hooves should be seen by a qualified farrier every four to six weeks to ensure that the hoof capsule is placed correctly underneath the horse's leg. Routine trims will also deal with issues like long toes and flares in the hoof wall. Sean notes that a good farrier must have a grasp of equine anatomy and conformation, as well as understand the biomechanics of how hooves handle concussion.

Each hoof should be trimmed to be in balance and not to create hooves that look like they match one another. Shoes should be shaped to the foot and not the foot shaped to the shoe, Sean says.

Hooves can crack because the toe is too long, the heel is underrun or because the horse has been standing in a too-wet environment. Though most cracks aren't a big deal, ones that go all the way through the hoof capsule or all the way up to the hairline require an intervention by a farrier.

Contracted heels are also a common issue and are most often caused by improper hoof balance, which can affect blood flow and hoof expansion. Abscess can be startling to see as the horse tends to become suddenly, severely lame. Sean suggests that genetics may predispose a horse to abscesses and thin soles can exacerbate the problem. Abscesses are most common during spring and wet winter months, when moisture softens the hoof and the foot becomes bruised, which can lead to an abscess.

Read more at Equine Guelph.

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