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Annual Vaccinations

The vaccine issue is a complex one. There is not one perfect answer as to whether to vaccinate, or what to use. It is clear that annual vaccines can have negative effects on our animals, yet many people board their horses in barns where they are required to vaccinate. This lengthy article covers some of the latest thoughts about vaccinating, the use of titers and alternatives to regular vaccination.

Each spring we begin thinking about vaccinations. The vaccine issue is actually a complex one and needs the active participation of the owner to help make the best decisions for the horse. The days of just vaccinating all horses with the same protocol should be gone, but are part of the current reality of many boarding establishments and veterinary practices.

Definitions

Generically the process of protecting against an infectious disease by "priming" the immune system with material, the immunogen, designed to stimulate an immune response to the infectious agent is known as immunization (www. answers.com). Vaccination is used when the immunogen is itself a living infectious agent, normally either a closely related bacterial species (as with smallpox and cowpox), or by using a strain weakened by some process. Technically immunization is different from vaccination in that vaccination uses a viable infecting agent (i.e., it can make the individual sick, ex: a live virus vaccine) while immunization does not use a viable agent (killed virus vaccine, or even just part of a virus-recombinant vaccine). In everyday horse language, we use the words interchangeably. Either form of priming the immune system can produce a measurable "antibody" in the blood. A test for how much of this antibody is present is called a titer or serologic test. The measure of a titer response in the blood is one indication of how well a horse might be protected against a disease. Little research has been done to determine the exact amount of a titer needed. However, most vaccines are sold based on the fact that they produce a measurable titer in the blood, rather than that they are proven to protect a horse against an actual disease challenge.

Titers are a useful indicator, but not the perfect answer to determining the protection status of a horse. The reason they are not perfect is that the immune system is very complex and there are many more places inside the body where the vaccine can protect other than in the blood. Cells inside the body can also have immune responses, called cellular immunity. We cannot measure this from the outside easily. So, it is possible to have a horse with a low blood titer, that is actually well protected. Some university vaccine researchers feel that if any titer is present at all, there will be protection at the cellular level. Also they feel that even animals with no titer may be well protected. Titers are, however, the main way available to the horse owner and veterinarian to get an indication of how well your horse could be protected./p>

Many veterinarians refuse to check titers thinking they are invalid, and many more just do not know how to interpret the results or even to which laboratories to send the samples. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA, www.avma.org, type in vaccine) does acknowledge that titers can be a measure to determine a need to for revaccination, but does caution that the data is unclear. The best way to approach titers is to use the results as a guide and take all the factors discussed below into account.

Annual vaccinations, official positions For years we have been vaccinating our animals on a yearly or twice a year basis, however the actual need for doing this has not been documented. I am enclosing a paragraph from one of the major small animal veterinary textbooks that quotes research from several years ago: "A practice that was started many years ago and that lacks scientific validity or verification is annual revaccinations. Almost without exception there is no immunologic requirement for annual revaccination. Immunity to viruses persists for years or for the life of the animal. Successful vaccination to most bacterial pathogens produces an immunologic memory that remains for years, allowing an animal to develop a protective anamnestic (secondary) response when exposed to virulent organisms. Only the immune response to toxins requires boosters (e.g., tetanus toxin booster, in humans is recommended every 7 to 10 years), and no toxin vaccines are currently used for dogs and cats (they are used in horses-tetanus and botulism, ed comment). Furthermore, revaccination with most viral vaccines fails to stimulate an anamnestic (secondary) response as a result of interference by existing antibody (similar to maternal antibody interference). The practice of annual vaccination in our opinion should be considered of questionable efficacy unless it is used as a mechanism to provide an annual physical examination or is required by law (i.e., certain states require annual vaccination for rabies)." Current Veterinary Therapy XI - Small Animals, p 205.

The AVMA web site contains several documents with current information about new thoughts on small animal vaccination. There is little research on horses, so the issue is ignored by the profession and no guidance is given for the equine practitioner. Here are some quotes from the AVMA web site that shows the lack of research about the topic and asks for individualization of vaccine protocols:

1. "...When designing a vaccination program, veterinarians consider the pet's lifestyle, related disease risks, and the characteristics of available vaccines."

2. "Q: How often should pets be revaccinated? A: This is a subject of ongoing research and healthy debate. No one truly knows how long protection from various vaccines lasts (italics added by JCH). Veterinarians have traditionally vaccinated annually; however, they are now learning that some vaccines induce immunity that lasts less than one year, whereas others may induce immunity that lasts well beyond one year. The AVMA recommends that veterinarians customize vaccination programs to the needs of their patients. More than one vaccination program may be effective."

3. "Q: How does my pet's lifestyle affect its vaccination program? A: Some pets are homebodies and have minimal opportunity for exposure to infectious disease, whereas others have a great deal of exposure to other pets and/or wildlife by virtue of their activities. Still other pets live in geographic areas that place them at greater risk for contracting some infectious diseases. Differences in lifestyle illustrate the importance of customizing a vaccination program to individual patients."

4. "Q: Are there risks? A: Although most pets respond well to vaccines, like any medical procedure vaccination carries some risk. The most common adverse responses are mild and short-term, including fever, sluggishness, and reduced appetite. Pets may also experience temporary pain or subtle swelling at the site of vaccination. Although most adverse responses will resolve within a day or two, excessive pain, swelling, or listlessness should be discussed with your veterinarian. Rarely, serious adverse responses occur. Contact your veterinarian immediately if your pet has repeated vomiting or diarrhea, whole body itching, difficulty breathing, collapse, or swelling of the face or legs. These signs may indicate an allergic reaction. In very rare instances death can occur. Visit with your veterinarian about the latest information on vaccine safety, including rare adverse responses that may develop weeks or months after vaccination."

These next quotes are from a paper published on the AVMA web site: "...Dr. Ford was on the American Animal Hospital Association Canine Vaccine Task Force, which released its vaccination guidelines in spring 2003. These guidelines recommended three-year booster intervals in adult dogs for distemper virus, parvovirus, adenovirus-2, and parainfluenza virus....

"...Many veterinarians have responded to the three-year guidelines with resistance. "It was truly a bitter pill, and we did not take this well," said Dr. Ford, who is also a Brigadier General in the U.S. Air Force Reserve. "At issue here is that the bitterness of the pill prevails. Despite growing acceptance of the guidelines, there is still considerable resistance...." "...Veterinarians are resistant because, when one examines the services that veterinarians provide in the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom, vaccination is at the top of the list for both cats and dogs..."

"...COBTA (an AVMA vaccine advisory group) concluded that evidence shows that some vaccines provide immunity beyond one year. While annual vaccinations have been highly successful in curbing disease, the one-year revaccination frequency recommendation found on many vaccine labels is based on historical precedent, not scientific data. Even in cases where scientific data were submitted to qualify a label claim, the data generated generally represent a minimum duration of immunity and don't resolve the question about average or maximum duration of immunity." (italics added by JCH). What do these quotes mean to you? It is wise to give some thought to your vaccination schedule, and to not just vaccinate blindly for every possible disease. For some it may be time to make a change in your schedule. Vaccines are stressful to the immune system. Vaccines should not be given to animals that are in any way ill, whether the problem is a skin condition or a serious internal disease. The package insert in vaccines states that only healthy animals should be vaccinated. Remember that people used to be vaccinated only a few times as young children, then as adults only for flu or if the person is going to a foreign country. Now the current vaccine program for children has gotten as excessive as it has for the horses.

Vaccination must be done at the level of comfort of the animal's caretaker. If you feel uncomfortable changing the vaccination program, keep examining the issues. More evidence is surfacing that over-vaccination is a problem and should not be done, but until sound research tells us exactly what to do, the decisions are up to the individual.

Holistic veterinarians are trained to look for subtle signs of disease and have more tools in their medicine chest to treat these chronic problems. Many holistic vets, including myself, find a variety of illnesses related to over-vaccination. Some of these are serious and life-threatening, while others are annoying. Reactions can occur up to about two months after a vaccination. Horses often become more susceptible to other diseases if their immune system is in poor shape after excessive vaccination. So, it is best to look at the vaccination issue with the information below and make decisions based on thinking rather than a rote program.

Annual vaccinations, practical applications The key to a successful program is to examine each disease and vaccination based on the risk of the disease versus the risk and benefit of the vaccine. For example, flu in the horse is not life-threatening, is easy to treat with alternative medicine and can be treated fairly well with conventional medicine (remember, it is a viral disease and antibiotics do not treat viruses). The injectable flu vaccine was proven to not work in a large study and in my opinion seems to be one of the most stressful vaccines for the horse. The intranasal vaccine does work, and should last for a long time, though there is no research to support its effects past 6 months to one year. Since the injectable vaccine is fairly ineffective, stressful to the horse (high risk) and disease is not serious (unless you just have to make that show!), the benefit of the vaccine is very low.

Rabies is the opposite in all ways. The disease is life-threatening and very serious and the vaccine is highly effective. However, since the vaccine is so effective, only a few shots in the lifetime of the horse will be protective for most horses. Extensive research in humans has shown that fairly low titers are very protective. Most horses in my practice have titers thousands of times higher than the protective level needed in humans. And, though no research indicates exactly what titer is needed by an equine, it is safe to say that the high titers seen in horses should be protective.

Potomac Horse Fever vaccines fall somewhere in the middle when analyzed. The vaccine has not been shown to have complete protection. If it were extremely effective, it would have eliminated the disease, since currently it is safe to say that most horses living along the Potomac River are vaccinated, yet the disease appears each year and horses still can die from it. However, if your barn is along a major river basin (high risk), and cases are seen each year in your immediate area, vaccination may be a wise thing to try, recognizing that it is not a perfect vaccine. However, if you are not along a river basin (low risk) and the veterinary practices in your immediate area do not see many cases, then it is a vaccine to skip. The vaccine does not appear to be as hard on the horses as some others. Titers are available and often are seen at a protective level without constant revaccination.

The Rhinopneumonitis vaccine is another vaccine where the disease is a low-risk upper respiratory infection. The vaccine is poorly effective; as such many vets recommend it every couple of months. It does seem to cause many side effects (high risk for the horse). The viral infection is easy to treat with alternative medicines such as homeopathy and Chinese herbs, but often is so mild it requires little treatment. The dangerous neurological form of the disease is not covered by any vaccine. Horses vaccinated against the respiratory form may actually be more susceptible to the neurological form if it passes through a barn. The abortion form of the disease does have a vaccine, but it needs to be given every few months, and is probably not needed in mares that foal at home rather than at a large facility with lots of chance for exposure. Titers can be taken, though they tend to be fairly low.

Tetanus is a high-risk disease with no titer test available. It also seems to be a very safe vaccine (low risk). In the early 1990s when a titer test was available, the vaccine appeared to be very effective with high titers for long periods of time without revaccination. This may be a vaccine to keep in the program, but it is also probably one that could be done every few years instead of yearly.

Strangles is a highly contagious disease, but actually is not usually life-threatening if the animal is cared for well, and is fairly easy to treat with both alternative and western medicine. The healthier the horse's immune system is, the less likely it is to get sick, and the easier it is to recover. Once the long-lived bacteria get onto a premise, it is a disease that can affect new horses coming onto the property. Most horses who have had the disease are immune for life. Since it is so contagious, barns with active cases are usually quarantined to prevent the spread of the disease. Strangles is an messy disease, the horse does feel sick and they do get abscesses that drain. However, it is a low risk disease as far as the long-term health of the horse goes. The vaccine seems to cause more problems that any other vaccine, so is high risk vaccine. Titers are available. An outbreak of this disease is one of the best places to use the homeopathic nosodes discussed later in this paper.

Western Encephalitis does not exist in the east, and Eastern Encephalitis not in the west. However, you cannot buy a vaccine for just one of these diseases. The disease is seen mostly in warm parts of the country with a large mosquito population. Occasionally it is seen in other parts of the country, but in general many areas of the country are at a low risk for the disease. In a high risk area, it may be advisable to vaccinate or at least check titers, since the disease can be life-threatening (high risk disease). The vaccine seems to be moderately safe, but can cause some reactions. Titers are available.

West Nile virus is the new disease on the block. It seems to be moving across the country leaving behind a low level of disease. However, we do not yet know what the disease patterns are or will be from year to year. It is a high risk disease (serious if your horse gets it), and possibly a problematic vaccine (there are quite a few reactions to some of the vaccines). So, vaccinating is not without some risk, and it is important to make the decision for each horse based on its health history. The young, strong animals are least susceptible. Titers are available and it appears that the vaccine and possibly some natural immunity are fairly effective as many titer levels are good. Time of year for vaccinating

When making decisions about vaccination, study the disease. As an example, it is pointless to vaccinate for a mosquito-carried disease in October if you live in New England, or anywhere in the northern 2/3 of the country where there are no mosquitoes in the winter. The diseases that are carried by mosquitoes include Eastern and Western Encephalitis and West Nile Virus. All of these diseases occur primarily when the mosquito population builds up to high level in the late summer and fall. Cases are rare earlier in the year. Potomac Horse fever also occurs in July through October. So, for these late summer diseases it would be better to vaccinate in May for maximum protection rather than in February or March when it is convenient.

The best way to get maximum benefit from vaccination is to spread the shots out rather than overload the whole system with everything at once. If the immune system is at all weak, multiple vaccines given the same day may not be very effective. Rabies and tetanus are year-around diseases, so these could be given at any time of the year. Save the late spring for diseases of the summer. Then the horse has maximum protection during the peak of the disease and there is no need to vaccinate twice a year for vaccines that may not be as effective. Twice a year vaccination adds more stress to the immune system.

Alternatives to vaccination

There are several alternatives to the conventional schedule. One is to check titers and just vaccinate for those diseases that have low levels of antibodies present. Another is to improve the health of the horse's immune system to help prevent susceptibility to disease, or to help the horse cope with the vaccine better. Homeopathic nosodes are another possible way to help the immune system.

When using with a regular vaccine, some of the side effects can be prevented by giving the homeopathic remedy Ledum Pal. 30X or 30C (6-8 tablets once a day for three days following a vaccination). This treatment can prevent reactions such as a stiff neck and lethargy, as well as some of the more severe reactions seen. Ledum can also help prevent some of the long-term negative effects of vaccines, though nothing can prevent all problems.

It is important to improve the overall heath of your horse's immune system with good nutrition and immune system support. The exact details of a program can be tailored to your horse's needs with a nutritionally-oriented veterinarian as well some good research on the part of the caretaker.

Another option for vaccines is to use homeopathic nosodes, which are like a homeopathic form of a vaccine. The nosode is made from the diseased part of the animal (such as mucous from the nose of a strangles horse), but is diluted so that it works like other homeopathic remedies. Nosodes often get used in place of vaccines. There is little research to support their use, and what has been done has not shown much promise. However, having said that, clinically there are many instances around the world where nosodes are used successfully in the prevention of disease. It must be stated that no one can promise nosodes will prevent disease, and anyone that says that is giving false information. The correct answer is that they might work. The general conclusion in a recent discussion amongst holistic vets is that nosodes work best in the face of an out-break of a disease, but may not help much in the day-to-day long-term prevention. Regular vaccination is often not advised in the face of an outbreak, since it takes at least ten days for the vaccine to trigger the immune system. If the animal has already been exposed to the disease but does not yet have symptoms, sometimes a vaccination can make them sicker. Nosodes can be very helpful here.

The giving of any homeopathic remedy alters that body's chemical and energetic makeup. Most holistic vets are leaning way from using nosodes except in an outbreak situation. Nosodes are available for most of the common diseases, including West Nile, however they are only available through prescriptions with a holistic veterinarian. And it is best not to just give them to any horse without knowing something about the current state of health. In many cases it is better to improve health than to just throw nosodes into the horse and hope for the best. When several generations of animals have been raised using no vaccines or only a few nosodes, the offspring become healthier and more resistant to diseases of all types.

Conclusion

There is not one perfect answer to the vaccination issue. Each and everyone must make the best, informed decision for each horse, each year. As new information comes available, read and learn everything you can. Your horse will thank you.

Have you ever dreamed of riding at the Spanish Riding School? What would you give to take a dressage lesson from a rider of the famous white Lippizan Stallions? One lady, MDA member Melanie Adams, dared to ask Harald Bauer to fly to the United States and visit Renaissance Farm. She set up a wonderful three day clinic for lucky riders and auditors.

Harald Bauer was accepted as an eleve (or student) into the rigorous training of the Spanish Riding School in 1985, at the age of 18. He spent his first years mucking stalls in return for one lunge lesson per day. As an eleve progresses, he is given his own horse to train. This is the hurdle that every eleve must clear to become a true rider at the Spanish Riding School. Many eleves can ride the trained horses, but few can train green horses to the level demanded at the school. According to Head Rider Hans Riegler, 85% of eleves DO NOT become riders. Harald become a rider in 1998.

Riders of all levels, from Introductory to Grand Prix, participated in the MDA clinic in July, 2006. Harald was kind and patient with each of them. To the delight of everyone, he rode several of the participants' horses. To watch this man ride is truly an unforgettable experience. Each part of his body is tuned to the horse. The horses respond well to his skills. Watching Harald ride a horse is like watching and listening to a conversation between good friends.

The basic themes throughout the clinic were simple. Harald's mantras were “play with him and let him go”, “move the bit”, “keep your hands deep”, “keep your hands still, don't move your hands”, and “put your body back”. Harald told us that these were common issues riders around the world deal with.

He explained that you had to keep your body so you would not block the horse's desire to move forward. He also explained that you should not have your body so far back that it becomes a driving seat. On the humorous side, Harald's Austrian accent combined with a microphone made “put your body back” sound like “pudubodybek'. Experienced auditors from the previous day kindly offered their translation of this strange word.

Harald asked all the riders to ride their horses more forward. This did not mean fast or rushing in tempo, but stepping more deeply under their bodies while in soft, steady contact with the bit. Several time riders were reminded “Not too fast”. The more forward the horse needed to be, the more words Harald used to emphasize his point. “Forward” would escalate to “more forward”, followed by an explanation that “he needs to feel like he can move!”. Sometimes a more demanding “make him more forward” came out. From the auditors' point of view, you could see the suppleness and relaxation develop as the horse became more forward.

Harald put much emphasis on the hands. Riders were often told “keep your hands deep”, and/or “keep your hands still”. Harald's description of the half halt was new to many of us. This is not surprising. Half halts are mysterious territory that few of us ever truly master. What better opportunity could arise than to learn from the long tradition and experience of the Spanish Riding School? The auditors asked Harald for a more detailed explanation of the half halt. In his Austrian accent, he told us “Always tiny squeezes. Gently move bit left to right, tiny. Never pull. Don't forget to use your legs and seat. Play with him and let him go.” To demonstrate the motion of the bit, he offered his fist holding an imaginary rein. His middle finger and ring finger barely moved. He then demonstrated, using a rider's horse, how the bit is to move in the horse's mouth. He explained, “The bit always pulses, always.” He told us to “look at the action of the bit when a horse lunges in side reins, it always moves, little bit”.

A vision was burned into my mind of the perfectly trained Lipizzan with no bad habits acquired from a struggling rider. The horse softly and trustingly accepts the soft, steady contact with the bit, softening his poll and jaw as he steps forward and through. The day after I audited the clinic, I rode with this image in my mind and my horse responded so peacefully. Charlie seemed to say, “Ah, she finally got it”.

Harald had variations of a gruff sort of growl that he used to signal his thoughts to the rider. One growl came when he was pleased. It rose from deep within him, with great enthusiasm, “HHHMMMM! GOOD, very good! Jawohl!” The rider instantly knew that his/her aid was correct and the horse was responding properly. At the other end of the spectrum, one growl ended with a dissatisfied note, followed by “Again” or “Do it again”. This signaled that more work was required.

Harald rode every stride from the ground with each rider. He has the ability to communicate a response to the rider even before they are aware of an upcoming issue. A slight change in the carriage of the horse's poll or neck resulted in “move the bit, move the bit. Play with him and let him go.” A slight change in tempo resulted in “Make him more forward. He must move like that.” Harald did not communicate a lot of detailed theory during the lessons, but if you watched and listened, you could follow the development of the horse and rider through Harald's keen ability to ride the horse from the ground as he taught. If you audited for several days, the improvement in horses and riders was very evident.

This clinic was a wonderful opportunity to experience classical dressage. It was interesting to note that the same issues were often mentioned in each lesson, despite the level of the horse and rider. During the discussion on Sunday, Harald was asked when he starts a horse in the double bridle. His response was “when the horse can do shoulder in, half pass, is forward and correct. Be patient”. The basics of dressage such as “ride forward” can not be overemphasized.

There is always more to learn about horse training, just when you think you’ve done it all. A bunch of us are much more enlightened now than we were before Sunday, November 13th, 2005. At Lita Hughes’ Ev’ry Last Scent Farm, we were taught that there is a lot more to your relationship with your horse than just riding and grooming. You will reap more rewards from your horse and bond more strongly by spending time just hanging out, getting him exposed to a many sights, sounds and activities as possible. Your horse will be more “grounded” with ground work such as long-lining, lunging, and the all-important “stretch”.

Lita herself is living proof of the value of the Stretch. If any of you have been present at an MDA show with Lita and Future Flair, you may have observed how Lita warms up Flair from the ground. With just a bridle and dressage whip, and armed with the well-honed skills for the “stretch”, you can prepare your horse for proper Dressage work or test, so that when you mount up, your horse is ready to proceed with shoulder-in, etc.

The highlight of the clinic was the lecture and demo, in which Lita eloquently described the correct topline of the horse, and your goal of dressage work. Holding the whip lengthwise between her two hands and applying pressure, she demonstrated different ways in which the arc is created in the whip, simulating the horse’s topline. When the top of the arc is in the center of the whip, you have ridden the horse correctly from back to front. To accomplish this, the horse must lower the croup and lower the head and raise the back, emphasizing Forward and Down. If, however, the arc in the whip is toward the front (head), and the back end of the whip stays in the original “up” position, then you have nothing to work with. The hind end is not engaged, and the hock joints are not bent to get the hind legs underneath the body. Working the horse with the reins from the ground, the horse is encouraged to move forward in a small circle, with the head stretched forward and down. The horse must put its inside hind leg well under the body and bend the rib cage laterally.

Lita showed us how she trained her Arab horse, who naturally wants to hold his croup flat, to adopt a more lowered croup stance. While demonstrating the stretch, she illustrated how forward momentum and bending, with taps from the whip, resulted in more engagement, and a larger, bouncier trot. This method of ground work allows the horse to warm up unencumbered by a nervous rider, etc. She emphasized that this training technique takes a lot of time to ingrain the behavior in the horse. As she says, all horses have faults and holes, and that we their handlers must recognize what those holes are in each horse, and learn what it takes to fill in nature’s gaps [to improve the horse].

Lita’s two assistants, TJ Flanagan and Veronica Natale, demonstrated the Stretch on horses Pal and Rosco for the benefit and enjoyment of the auditors.

Lita also uses long-lining in her repertoire of training tools to allow the trainer/rider to observe the horse’s movement. She had her audience participate in this training first-hand. We all enjoyed the opportunity to take a turn at mimicking the unruly horse, to see how our handler would get us back in line. That was the easy part (being the horse). As the handler/trainer, I found it somewhat challenging to handle two long lines and a whip at the same time. It does require a little dexterity to constantly organize the length of each line, adjusting both with the horse’s movement, always keeping contact, and managing the changing of the horse’s direction.

To prepare a new horse for the long lining, Lita introduces each horse to the Hula Hoop. Yes, the original! Hers are especially effective, because they rattle like, well, rattles. This toy desensitizes the horse to having strange stuff moving around its body, so that when the long-lines are employed, and maybe get under the tail, the horse will not get upset. First the horse is asked to step into the hoop on the ground with its front feet. He is rewarded with a treat when he complies. Then he is asked to move forward and put his hind feet into the hoop. When he is successful, the handler moves the hoop up his hind legs and over his back and belly. The handler has at this point laid the foundation for dealing with long lines.

During the clinic, the horse participants behaved well and seemed to learn quickly. Except for my mare, who wanted to do the Hula with the Hoop. All auditors and clinic participants were eager to go home and try out all the new techniques. We now have more training tools to pull out during times of unrideable weather.

Clinic participants were Shawna Seybold with Chessie, Leslie Kline with Faith, Linda Elliott with Flying Colors, and Tina Lortz with Revlon. What a mare-fest we had at the “all male” club.

Thanks to Lita Hughes, Cooper Hughes and the wonderful boarders, especially TJ and Veronica, for their hospitality and assistance to us clinic participants, and the super weather. We enjoyed Ev’ry Last Scent of every creature on the beautiful farm. Thanks also to Jean Bosley, who expertly organized and managed all aspects of the clinic.

Lita Hughes has had a life-long riding and training career, starting in childhood with Sally O’Connor, and has worked with Kirsty Karkow, Peter Kjellerup, Klaus Trawncowiekz, Sally Swift, Jean Paul Pere, Michael and Paula Kierkegaard, John Winnette, Mary Flood. She is a certified Centered Riding Instructor and boards and teaches Dressage at her Ev’ry Last Scent Farm in White Hall, Maryland. Lita credits Wendy Murdock with introducing her to the Hula Hoop as a training aid, and calls this her “life saver”.

As last year’s recipient of the JBB scholarship, I’m obligated to inform the club either through an article or oral presentation to the club of how I spent my money. I thought an article here and there as I spent it would be a better way to keep track of things, especially since middle age has started me down the short-term memory road to hell. I honestly don’t how much I’ll remember a year from now!

Springtime finds me with good weather and a horse just getting over a minor but irritating leg problem. Just when she got sound enough to ride she had to be sent off to be bred. Of course I missed her first ovulation cycle by about two days so she gets to spend a very nice and not inexpensive few weeks at Northview Stallion Station. What to do in the meantime? As luck would have it I received an email from Lita Hughes announcing a lungeing clinic at her Ev’ry Last Scent Farm in Whitehall. I’m sure most people know how to lunge, or think they know how to lunge, because its something every horse person sort of picks up along the way. But I thought it would be great to actually learn how to lunge correctly. Truth be told, I’ve always thought lungeing was pretty boring and I’ve never agreed with the philosophy of lungeing a horse in circles until everyone’s blue in the face.

The clinic started out with a great ice breaker for everyone. Two people worked as the front and back of a horse, and a third person was at the end of the lunge line with a whip. Of course the front and the back of the horse came up with every scenario we’ve ever experienced – head to outside, haunches in, haunches out, shoulder in, head to the outside and running off, etc. The person with the whip had to try and use body position and whip position to get us ill-behaved and laughing horses back in line. A great way to see how the correct position changes things around and also a great way to ask Lita questions as something happened and we didn’t know how to correct them.

Next, on to real live horses. Lita brought out several different horses at different ages and levels of experience and showed us:

· How to correctly lunge the horse in a circle (push out, pull in, make adjustments)

· Lunge them over poles and cavelettis (the proper adjustment and spacing for poles and cavaletti, get them in and out correctly, adjust energy)

· Side reins (how to introduce them, correct adjustments)

· Movement (how side reins help them collect and use themselves better)

· Transitions, transitions, transitions (no mindless running around in circles, lots of transitions)

All of the above took until lunch time. After a brief break anyone requesting a private lesson on either their own horse or one of Lita’s could work with Lita helping out and answering questions. I had the privilege of lungeing Lita’s upper level horse Poet (probably well known to most MDA members). My main objective was to work on my own steering – getting a horse into and out of poles and cavelleti correctly. I started with lungeing Poet up and down the side of a hill as well as through the dressage ring. Lita was great at emphasizing how good it is to lunge a horse somewhere besides just on the flat in a dressage ring. If the horse is well schooled and cooperates lungeing can be used as a great exercise in any area.

The next few participants brought their own horses and it was great to sit back and watch other horses at different levels of experience react to different adjustments that Lita made to their handlers. This was an important point – the problem is not usually with the horse, its with the person handling the horse. (Although I don’t think the Lippizan mare who did the 7 foot airs above ground was necessarily the handler’s fault!)

All in all, a really great way to spend a beautiful Saturday afternoon. I had the opportunity to ask questions about problems I’ve hit here and there and immediately be able to practice it on a well schooled horse.

Auditing fee was $15 but since I also requested a private lesson my total for the day was $40. Absolutely worth the money.

Money left: $260

It has been said that Sportsmanship is a mirror of our character in real life, of the ethical and moral values that reside in our hearts. Nowhere is there more evidence of heart than in our Paralympic competitors, as observed in the past summer Olympics in Athens. Here, competitors are graded by their impairments, from 1 to 4, according to the seriousness of their impairments. Grade 1, the most serious impairment, is defined as “Mainly wheelchair users with poor trunk balance and or impairment of function in all four limbs, or no trunk balance and good upper limb function, or moderate trunk balance with severe impairment of all four limbs”.

The extraordinary episode of sportsmanship I am about to describe was related to me by Anita Owen, a Dressage (S) Judge from Maryland, who was on the Jury at Athens on September 14, 2004, during this event.

The incident started with Lee Pearson of Great Britain, who is a Grade 1 athlete, rode a Freestyle test on his horse Blue Circle Boy, to a very successful score of 77.263. He was beaming at the completion of his performance, and heartily agreed when the judge commented that it was a very nice test. The next rider to do the Freestyle was French rider Valerie Salles, who was waiting behind the Judge at “C”. With no warning, Aristotle, her horse collapsed and died. Valerie’s dream of the opportunity to ride in Athens died with her horse.

Later on that day, Lee, who earned a Bronze medal for Great Britain for the combination of team, individual and Freestyle tests, attended the awards ceremony, where he received his ribbon, medal, and a bouquet of flowers. Anita observed the ceremony from the third floor scoring booth, delighted at the display of pride by Lee and his horse, who showed their stuff by Piaffing and Passaging their way into and out of the arena. Lee exited the arena and called over his groom, who was attending Lee’s wheelchair, to bring him his crutches, then crawled off his horse, dragged himself over to Valerie, and handed her his bouquet of flowers. According to Anita, there was not a dry eye present. She tears even now thinking about it.

As an addendum to this story, another good sportsman was kind enough to lend their own horse to Valerie, so Valerie could realize her dream of riding at Athens.

Lee Pearson was later awarded the Sportsman of The Year Award.

It is this kind of rare demonstration of sportsmanship that inspires us to go on, and allows us to bear with dignity a fraction of the hardship that these disabled riders endure every day of their lives.

Sportsmanship encompasses moral, ethical, and social aspects of behavior. It deals with philosophy and values. Just as in all human behaviors, there are differences of opinion on some issues and there are gray areas. Sportsmanship provides limits to behavior and circumscribes behaviors that are acceptable and unacceptable. The limits of behavior are often voluntary and there are no written rules governing some behaviors. For the good of the game and the good of the players, coaches need to demonstrate, or role model, the ideals of sportsmanship for the players.

Sportsmanship in matches is the equivalent of character in daily life. Character is defined as “moral strength, self-discipline, and fortitude” and also as “good reputation”. Another definition of character is “how one behaves when no one is watching”. We all appreciate and value ethical behavior. Sportsmanship requires ethical behavior on the field. Demonstrating sportsmanship does not diminish competitiveness. It allows the result of a player or team’s efforts to have meaning and value. Upholding the written and unwritten rules of sportsmanship will enhance the sense of pride and accomplish that comes with a win or any well-played match. When evaluating your team’s performance after any competition be sure to give a thought to the sportsmanship component.

The line between sportsmanlike and unsportsmanlike becomes less distinct when gamesmanship is considered. Gamesmanship is the ability to use every ploy or advantage at your disposal. However gamesmanship does not mean breaking the rules. Is breaking the rules OK if it is not called? It is undoubtedly not good sportsmanship.

Most questions about sporting behavior are clearly on one side of the line but a few seem to waver. The line between gamesmanship and unsporting behavior is often indistinct. Just how hard should a player with the ball try to keep his balance when tripped or fouled in or near the penalty box? Be sure you have thought about some of these issues and if you are not clear about some in your own mind tell the kids so.

It is often a good idea to discuss your questions with other coaches or soccer professionals. You can also use the “rocking chair evaluation” to help answer your own questions. The “rocking chair evaluation” is where you imagine yourself at age 96 quietly sitting in a rocking chair reflecting back on your decision that you are presently faced with. Decide at age 96 while in your rocking chair whether or not you made the correct choice or would you do it over again differently. (Remember, you are close to meeting your maker!)

When an individual takes on the responsibility of being a youth coach there is no set of instructions concerning sportsmanship that come with the job. It is up to the coach to seriously and conscientiously evaluate his behavior at all times and make decisions during games and practices that demonstrate and promote sportsmanship to his players. Sportsmanship often means making sacrifices and choosing a more difficult path but as coaches we do this for the benefit of our players and the game. No one will care or remember much about the outcome of the game or the standings or whatever other statistical measure seems to be of primary concern at the moment.

A scoreboard does not necessarily reflect excellence or the truth as to the way the game was actually played.

Your approach to sportsmanship and the game is just as critical as your ability to teach technical and tactical skills to your players. The life lessons dealing with behavior and values will become part of your player’s identity and they will be of great significance during the lifetime of the players when they are faced with day-to-day decisions. The ability to play fairly, win graciously, and to maintain dignity during a loss or personal adversity is immensely more important than some crappy piece of plastic that supposedly symbolizes success. Granted, winning games is a lot more fun than losing and winning games should always be a prime objective. However, the ability to play the game with honor and sportsmanship is part of an internalized value system that can be applied to the player’s approach to other aspects of personal and social behavior. Having a sportsmanlike attitude will benefit the player and can impact our social and cultural fabric. Playing by the rules and showing respect for others is the oil that makes our social, political, and economic systems work. Not doing so can erode and degrade our way of life.

Please take the role of teaching sportsmanship very seriously. Keep its importance in the forefront of your coaching and do your best to promote sportsmanlike behavior at all times. Shaping and developing strong character in your players is of greater long-term value than soccer skills. When viewed in these terms this may seem like more responsibility than what many coaches bargain for. Nevertheless, it is part of the job description and needs to be seriously considered by the youth coach.

How do you teach sportsmanship? What constitutes sportsmanlike behavior? Like many concepts, it is difficult to define or hard to say exactly what it is but “you know it when you see it.” I believe that the principles of sportsmanship are those same ones that we have come to value and admire in individuals because they are universally agreed on as demonstrating excellence in behavior. Sportsmanlike behaviors are those that transcend the good of the individual or the good of the moment for the greater good of the team or the sport. Sportsmanlike behaviors generally avoid immediate gratification for a greater principle. As a coach, your ultimate objective in teaching sportsmanship to the players is to have the players internalize the sportsmanlike values that they can apply not only to sports but also to life. Sportsmanship is something that hopefully will not just be exhibited on the playing field but also off the field. Otherwise it becomes like being holy only in church. What good does it do?

Think about this for a minute. What kind of a coach do you want to be? How do you want to be remembered by your players? What do you want your youthful players to take with them as a result of you having been their coach?

Keep in mind that the players learn from the adults and that they mimic and imitate adult behavior. Your players will pick up from your example so decide what kind of example you want to set for your players. Teams reflect the personality, style, and values of the coach. That is your legacy.

Reprinted with permission from Sidelines Magazine

There is no denying the fact that horse people are a breed all their own, myself included. While most of world heads to the mall to shop the sales, I head to The Tackeria in Wellington just in case they have new items I can’t live without. A friend once asked what I could possibly need that I don’t already own for my horses, and I couldn’t come up with a good answer. Not long ago, however, while browsing the aisles of The Tackeria I was delighted to discover a bumper sticker that said Jumper. Now I don’t ride jumpers, the fastest I like to go is when I floor the golf cart while dragging the arena, but my daughter rides pony jumpers so I thought it was a bumper sticker we obviously needed. So I bought it and happily put it on the back of my red truck.

Maybe that just makes horse people quirky that we would rather spend our free time strolling the aisles of a tack or feed store. Some people might even think it is weird that we clean the barn before cleaning our house. Apparently they don’t realize it would depress our horses to look out their stall windows at a clean house if they aren’t living in a clean barn. Fair is fair after all.

So maybe it’s fair to say we are a breed all our own, and that we are even a little quirky or weird, but a recent incident pushed me right over the edge and into the “demented horse owner” category. I went into Target in search of good plastic containers for horse blankets when I heard an announcement over the store intercom asking for anyone with a red truck to come to the front of the store.

Immediately I thought they must have seen my Jumper sticker on my truck and needed to know where to get one. Imagine my surprise when they asked me to accompany them outside only to see my entire truck up in flames. As I watched the firefighters put out the fire I was thankful no people were injured, that I didn’t have any dogs in the truck while I ran in the store, or that the truck wasn’t hooked up to a trailer full of horses. Then suddenly I remembered I had something of enormous value in the truck that I needed to retrieve immediately - my horse’s Coggins papers.

This is where I started to become hysterical. Not over the fact that my truck had just burned to the ground, but more importantly I knew I had a horse show in two days and there were original Coggins in my truck. Do you think telling the show secretary that my Coggins burned up in a truck fire would have worked? It would be like telling your teacher the dog ate your homework. There in the midst of soot and burning ashes, I started to think of the cool, dark stare of the show secretary and how she would point to the door and inform me that without a Coggins I wasn’t showing.

I explained to a firefighter that it was an absolute necessity that I get inside my truck and I told him why. The firefighter apparently mistook my panic over the Coggins situation for shock, and called for paramedics. Apparently firefighters and paramedics, if they are your non-horsey version, do not understand that arriving at a show with your Coggins blackened and crispy is a much better alternative than showing up empty handed. I briefly wondered if a note from the paramedics would work, but once again that cool, dark stare of the show secretary flashed into my mind and I knew I only had one choice. So after the firefighters left, I started working on a plan. When the tow truck driver arrived to take my truck to the big charred parking lot in the sky, I told him in an official sounding voice that I needed a crowbar and rubber gloves because I had to get into the console between the front seats before the truck could be removed. He agreed, and as I crawled across the glass and rubble of my truck I briefly wondered if the fire had made me insane. Then I realized any good horse person would do the same thing.

Fortunately the center console acted as a fire barrier, and I was able to pull out a bag of slightly singed and horrible smelling Coggins. And I knew with certainty that when I handed the Coggins to the show secretary she would glare at me because they smelled like smoke and had blackened edges, but I had them and that was all that mattered.

I told my story to a few people who, in general, seemed to think I was crazy. But not the horse folks, they all understood and applauded my bravery in retrieving items of such value. Horse people might be slightly quirky, or weird, or demented when it comes to our horses, but at least we all stick together.

You should be aware that actions you take before, during and after a natural or man made disaster could save your horses' life.

Familiarize yourself with the types of disasters that can occur in your area and develop a plan of action to deal with each type. Some disasters to consider are hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, severe winter weather, fire, nuclear power plant accidents with release of radioactivity to the environment and hazardous material spills.

Survey your property to find the best location to confine your animals in each type of disaster. Check for alternate water sources in case power is lost and pumps and automatic waterers are not working after the disaster.

If you think you might need to evacuate your horses from your property determine several locations the animals could be taken, several routes to these locations and the entry requirements for each. Make arrangements in advance with the owner/operators to accept your horses and be sure to contact them before taking the horses there. Locations that could be used for evacuation are private stables, race tracks, fair grounds, equestrian centers, private farms and humane societies.

Permanently identify each horse by tattoo, microchip, brand, tag, photograph (4 views-front, rear, left and right side) and/or drawing. Record its age, sex, breed, and color with your record of this identification. Keep this information with your important papers. If not identified at the time of the disaster in the above manner, paint or etch hooves, use neck bands or paint telephone number on side of animal.

Be sure your horses' vaccination and medical records are written and up-to-date. As a minimum, each horse should have a current Coggins test documented. Check with your veterinarian as to what immunizations are advisable. Have documentation of any medicines with dosing instructions, special feeding instructions and the name and phone number of the veterinarian who dispensed the drug.

Place a permanent tag with your name and phone number, and the horse's name on each animal's halter.

Consider in your plan the prioritizing of which animals will be saved, if all cannot be saved. Let all farm personnel know of your plans in case you are not there when a disaster occurs.