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