BSPA Judges Conference 2013 WHEN IS A PROBLEM NOT A PROBLEM JANE HASTIE Nee NIXON MRCVS
BSPA Judges Conference 2013
WHEN IS A PROBLEM NOT A PROBLEM
JANE HASTIE Nee NIXON MRCVS
A PERCEIVED PROBLEM
MAY BE REDUCED OR ELIMINATED WITH SUPPORTIVE MANAGEMENT
WHAT JUDGES WILL SPOT IN THE SHOW RING
1 LAME HORSES/PONIES2 UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT NOISE
3 OVERBENTNESS4 LACK OF HQ ENGAGEMENT
PRIDE AND JOY
THE EXHIBIT IS USUALLY THE OWNER’S PRIDE AND JOY.
MAKE PROACTIVE COMMENTS !!
PAUL COOK‘’When assessing the ride, you obviously want a horse to be;
light in the handresponsivegoing through the gearsComfortable’’ ie the horse/pony MUST PERFORM !
UNDER PERFORMANCE
MOST COMMON CAUSES
1 LOWER AIRWAY INFLAMMATORY DISEASE
2 LAMNESS
3 INSUFFICIENTLY PHYSICALLY TRAINED FOR PURPOSE
PAUL COOK
‘’The judge is there to also assess a horses soundness both in wind and limb’’
LOWER INFLAMMATORYAIRWAY DISEASE
IS THE MOST COMMON CAUSE OF UNDER PERFORMANCE IN ALL HORSES
COMMON CAUSES RESPIRATORY TRACT DISEASE
• LOWER RESPIRATORY TRACT =• LUNGS• LOWER TRACHEA
•
UPPER RESPIRATORY TRACT =
• NASAL PASSAGES• PHARYNX including soft palate• LARYNX with glottis• UPPER TRACHEA• NASAL PASSAGES•
What is lower respiratory tract disease• 1 Sensitisation of lung tissue to allergens • ie stable dust • hay spores • moulds• 2 Disease /infection• ie viruses = herpes , flu
• RESULTING IN
• Reduced air exchange surfaces• excess mucus in the lungs • broncho pneumonia
Signs lower respiratory tract disease
• Dull/lethargic• Not moving off leg• Inappetance associated with• Increased respiratory rate• Cough• Nasal discharge
Preventative management
• Good ventilation• Dust free environment• Feed on floor• When travelling allow head down [teapot
spout]• Biosecurity ….remember the Olympic Games• Vaccinate
Upper respiratory tract noise
• The happy horse and rider
The upper respiratory tract
• larynx
Causes of Upper respiratory tract noise• Sore throat • bacterial• viral lymphoid hyperplasia• pain from coughing from lower airway• disease• overbent squashing vocal cords• vocal cord collapse• high blowing• displacement soft palate• alar fold paralysis
L Vocal cord paresis/collapse
DISPLACEMENT OF SOFT PALATE
Lord Thomas video
PAUL COOK‘’You are also there to assess a horse’s wind, if you believe a horse makes a noise then you need to say; “in my opinion, today your horse seems to be making a noise”, offering them the opportunity to leave the ring. It is important however, as I have found with younger judges, not to confuse ‘high blowing’ with unsoundness’’
BEWARE INSPIRATORY NOISE IN THE EARLY STAGES IS INTERMITTENT !
2nd most common cause of under performance is bad conformation
• 8/10 RULE• All horses & ponies with rotational or angular
limb deformities will be subclinically lame by 8 years old and clinically lame requiring management by 10 years old
PAUL COOK
‘’Do not ride a horse that is even marginally un-level - in my view any horse that is un-level should be asked to leave the ring whether ridden by the judge or not – in this day and age we could be liable by riding a horse or asking it to go round with others or do an individual show if we make an unsound horse worse.’’
How to avoid lameness• 1 do not breed from animals with poor
conformation• 2 do not purchase animals with poor
conformation• 3 foot balance ie correct foot trimming and
shoeing to conformation • 4 laminitis subclinical clinical• 5 ensure musculo-skeletal fitness,especially
core muscles of both horse and rider !!
MEDIO- LATERAL INBALANCE
Well balanced foot Unbalanced foot
How to assess foot balance, left and right handed farriers
“ANIMAL LOVERS UNABLE TO RECOGNISE PORTLY EQUINES”
WORLD HORSE WELFARE CHARITY POLL
i) 50% could not recognise pictures of overweight horses and many did not view condition as a welfare threat
ii) Thin horses often the correct weight, but looked thin compared to overweight field companions
VETERINARY TIMES JANUARY 25TH 2010
LAMINITIS areas of hard fat
Laminitis
• 1 metabolic• 2 hard ground ie traumatic• a pony/ horse with low grade laminitis will• loose action• be reluctant to go away from the leg• transfer weight to hind quaters
IT SHOULDN’T WORK !!
• HORSE WITH GOOD CONFORMATION WILL/SHOULD
• BE EXHIBITED IN CONDITION SUITABLE FOR JOB IN HAND
• THOSE HORSES WITH WEAK CONFORMATION ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE EXHIBITED TOO FAT IN ORDER TO TRY
UNSUCCESSFULLY TO HIDE FAULTS
• I.E FAT HORSE IS INDICATION OF CONFORMATION PROBLEM
CONFORMATION FAULTS THE FEET
• SLIGHTLY ODD FRONT FEET
• ESPECIALLY HEEL DEPTH
• NO HEEL SUPPORT
• WEAK HOOF CAPSULES
• SIGN OF LAMINITIS
• UNEVEN HEEL DEPTH → Uneven scapular height → Asymmetrical Shoulders re: saddle fit
• ALL rotational and angular limb deformities out 8/10 rule
• Overdeveloped muscles indicate lameness behind
The Competition Horse conformational faults
BACK AT THE KNEE
FAULTS PREDISPOSING TO SPLINTS
Offset Knees Bow Legs Knocked Knees
THE HINDQUARTERS
• The flatter the pelvis • → More muscle• → Greater strength and flexibility
• STRAIGHT HIND LEGS → Unable to come under the horse
• ACUTE HOCK ANGLE → Less able to carry weight
• TARSAL VALGUS → Risk of Pelvic fractures
Quarters width should be parallel with thighs
HINDLEG
The Competition Horse conformational faults
NORMAL HOCK
HOCK CONFORMATION
Cow HocksPre-dispose to
Pelvic Fractures
Sickle HocksPre-dispose to
Curbs
CURBANATOMY APPEARANCE
DEFINITION OF A CURB
• COMPLEX OF SOFT TISSUE INJURIES ON BACK OF THE HOCK JOINTS
• CONFORMATIONAL BONY ABNORMALITIES AND/OR INJURIES MAY MIMIC AND CONTRIBUTE EVENTUALLY TO CURB FORMATION
• CAUSING UNDER PERFORMANCE AND LAMENESS
Transfering weight to hind quaters
• Will cause• O / A [osteoarthritis] eg bone spavins• Suspensory desmitis• Sacro iliac disease• Curbs• Windgalls
• Examples of conformation faults causing multifactorial problems in the Competition Horse
• HEAD CONFORMATION → JAW JOINT PAIN• → One sidedness• → Head Tilt• → Uneven back muscle development• → Poor saddle fit• → Hind leg lameness
• Heel of one front foot deeper than the other • High heeled foot → ↓ Shoulder blade →
Poor Saddle fit • ↓ ↓
• → Suspensory ligament pain → Uneven loading of back CAUSES hind leg lameness
•
• Straight hind leg conformation →• Upward fixating patellla →• Gaskin MM → Asymmetrical pelvis
– → S I Pain– → ↓ Impulsion– → Forehand M M – →Foreleg lameness
Conclusion
The good Competition Horse should
– Be well balanced
– “Fill the eye”
– Have conformation that gives the appearance of balance and comfort
– To allow him to express the will and do the job required
3rd most common cause of under performance are
WEAK CORE MUSCLES
Core muscles 1
Core muscles 2
CORE STRENGTH
• Critical to build up horse’s and your own core muscle strength.
• Rider ; independent seat• Horse ; steadily increasing fittening• extreme care when riding at • extended trot on weak • young horse
Work overload in weak young horse
• will cause • loading of hind quarters• tying up • • leading to • gait on the forehand • splints• joint problems
OVERBENTNESS
OVERBENTNESS
OVERBENTNESS 1
• Causes • lack of engagement of HQ• restricts movement of • neck muscles• core muscles• Resulting in• unbalanced stiff unattractive gait• upper respiratory tract inspiratory• noise ie whistle/roar
Overbentness 2
• Because • horse/pony musculoskeletally unfit• for purpose• producer cutting corners• rider inabilty /lack of independent• seat
Rider/horse and pony EMPATHY
• Charlotte Dujardine OBE• Won 2 gold medals due to her balance
and harmony with Valegro
How to manage problems • 1 prevent occurrence in the first place• 2 cause minimal loss of performance
• DO NOT• breed/ purchase horses/ponies with poor conformation just
because they are cheap• use poorly ventilated stables/horse transport because you are too
lazy to keep them properly clean• take short cuts in fittening , especially the young horse because
you are short of time• ride with the neck overbent• get the pony/horse too fat as a quick fix• • 2
DO
• Breed/purchase for good sustainable • conformation and subsequently • performance• Keep your stables/lorries/trailers dust free• and clean• Get yourself and pony/horse properly fit• Feed for work done
JUDGES : YOU ARE THE LEADERS• THE REST WILL FOLLOW• YOU HAVE THE ULTIMATE
RESPONSIBILITY• FOR EQUINE WELFARE AND
DEVELOPMENT• PLEASE BE ACCURATE,FIRM AND
PROACTIVE
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
and good luck !ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE