Equine Chronicle | Archive | Editorial

Back Problems in Horses

October 14, 2014 Comments Off

There are many types of back injuries in horses, including acute and chronic problems and repetitive injuries due to use of the horse. Any of these can hinder ability to perform. Tia Nelson, a veterinarian/farrier in Helena, Montana, says back problems cover a wide spectrum of situations and present a variety of signs.

Changing Trends in Hunter Under Saddle

October 13, 2014 Comments Off

Anyone who has ever set a hoof inside the show ring knows that the main goal is to get the judge’s attention, preferably when you and your horse are looking your best. However, do some exhibitors take things too far, snuggling up so close to the judge that the rider can almost read the scorecard from horseback? The trend of “circling the judges” in an effort to gain the best ring position is just one topic that has come up lately in a push to bring this English discipline back to its roots. How far has Hunter Under Saddle strayed away from the original intention and tradition behind the class itself?

A Second Chance in Paradise – Getting a Fresh Start in Hawaii

October 12, 2014 Comments Off

Have you ever wanted to start your life over in some exotic locale, complete with a new job, home, and support system? For me, that fleeting daydream usually includes a white sandy beach, crystal clear water, and plenty of palm trees. Remarkably, several dozen horses living on the island of Kauai have been given that second chance, complete with palm trees, and are thriving as a result.

Siblings Who Show

October 11, 2014 Comments Off

In a rare moment of frustration, a young Claire McDowall was angry. She left the show ring and stomped back to her horse’s stall. The object of her wrath was her older brother Klay. He had just beaten her in a class, but that wasn’t why she was upset. Claire was mad, because in her young eyes, her brother should’ve let the other children in the ring have a shot at the win. “She was mad at him for winning so many classes and not giving the other little kids a chance, not her, but all the other little kids,” their father, Kelly McDowall, recalls fondly. “We had to explain to her about the meaning of competition, but we really didn’t want to discourage that behavior,” he says of his daughter’s concern for others.

Confessions Of A First Year Scribe

October 10, 2014 Comments Off

I was a former eye-roller. You know that conversation, when you’re sharing your opinion about a judge’s results and someone says that everyone should have to stand inside the ring, just once, to see what it’s really like? Cue the eye-roll. Admittedly, I wasn’t blessed with a poker face. Oddly enough, I have found the cure and it came while standing inside the ring.

Tax Matters – Deductions for Advertising & Promotional Expenses

October 9, 2014 Comments Off

Advertising and promotional expenses are usually deductible along with other ordinary and necessary expenses in horse and livestock activities operated as a business. Traditional print ads in magazines can be expensive, and must be repeated in order to be effective. Other modes of advertising, such as on the internet or word-of-mouth advertising, as well as participation in horse shows, are important as well.

Can a Boarding Contract Save a Horse’s Life?

October 8, 2014 Comments Off

Boarding contracts are very important documents. Among their many elements, these documents can establish payment schedules, confirm services that will be provided, address additional services and fees, identify late payment fees and interest on unpaid balances, explain health requirements for incoming horses, discuss stable-wide vaccination and de-worming programs, address how either party can terminate the contract, and many other elements. One very important clause, which boarding contracts sometimes miss, explains how the stable may handle veterinary emergencies when the owner cannot be reached.

On The Fence With Carol

October 7, 2014 Comments Off

Oh my goodness? It is October and we are approaching the end of the year. We are still in a dilemma with regard to our leadership. We haven’t heard anything regarding Don Treadway’s successor but we have hired a new staff member. He is Pete Kyle, a likeable horseman who I hear has thoughts about reorganization. We have either fired or shuffled around 14 members of our staff for reasons only known by those who AQHA feel necessary. It shouldn’t surprise any of you to hear that AQHA is still discussing more ‘levels’ of competition to further confuse our exhibitors and our show managers.

Olivia Hoecker – A Passion for All Things Equine

October 6, 2014 Comments Off

Olivia Hoecker is the founder and owner of Pine Meadow Quarter Horses. Through hard work and dedication she has created one of the premier American Quarter Horse breeding programs the breed has to offer. Her stallion roster reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of Quarter Horse bloodlines, and the horses produced through her breeding program are consistently at the top of today’s level of elite competition. She is living every horsewoman’s fantasy, but she has worked long and hard to reach this personal goal of making her lifelong dream into a reality.

Cathrin Gutmann – Transatlantic Equestrian

October 5, 2014 Comments Off

Cathrin Gutmann exudes positive energy. When you see her competing in Hunter Under Saddle, she presents a picture of elegance and poise, clad in tasteful show outfits that complement her top Quarter Horse contenders. But there is much more than meets the eye when it comes to this young, energetic mother and competitor. She is a true Renaissance woman, whether she is playing with her adorable three-year-old daughter, Emilie, competing with her string of blue-blooded Quarter Horses, or immersing herself in the extensive restoration of Gut Jaidhof, the historic family seat in Austria.