Allison Springer clinic

As a **** international eventing competitor and a Level 4 USEA certified instructor, Allison Springer is one of the best American clinicians.  She’s returning to North Brook Eventing Center in Stillwater this weekend for a clinic for riders from Beginner Novice through Preliminary levels.  Saturday will focus on stadium jumping and Sunday on Cross Country.

Saturday’s Schedule

9-10:30 am Beginner Novice

10:30am-12 pm Novice

LUNCH – 12-12:30

12:30-2 Novice/Training

2-3:30 pm Training

3:30-5 pm Preliminary

Sunday’s Schedule

7:30-9 am Beginner Novice

9-10:30am Novice

10:30-12 Novice/Training

LUNCH – 12-12:30

12:30-2 pm Training

2:15-3:45 pm Preliminary

Riders from Allison’s March clinic rave about her coaching and ability to provide the right tools for the best improvements in your equine partnership.  Here’s some quotes:

“Allison gave me a lot to work on for my position and breaking bad habits.  I can’t wait to ride with her again!”

“I absolutely adore Allison…she’s sincere and demanding but doesn’t forget to compliment!”

Auditing is free, so come out and enjoy the lovely warm weather and this beautiful facility!

Check out horse facilities for sale in MN at www.mnhorseproperties.com or www.donavin.com

Clinic this weekend with Lisa Fergusson at Roebke’s Run

Eventers, take notice! There’s FREE auditing at the Lisa Fergusson clinic May 2-3 at Magister Equitum Stables (Roebke’s Run).  All 3 phases (dressage, stadium, and cross-country) will be covered. For the jumping classes, there will be 3-4 riders in each group which are separated by level (Beginner Novice, Novice, Training/Preliminary).  There will also be a potluck dinner Saturday night. 

Lisa Fergusson is Canadian and has competed and trained through the Advanced level and brought young horses up through the levels.  She’s skilled at working on rider position. 

Roebke’s Run is a fabulous facility with one of the upper midwest’s finest cross country courses.  Their course was crafted by Eric Bull, Dan Stark, and Tyson Remener. It features starter, beginner novice, novice, training, preliminary, intermediate, CIC* and CIC** jumps, such as the ones below. 

 

Always wanted to have your own cross country course at home?  Look at hobby farms and horse properties for sale in the Twin Cities metro area at www.donavin.com and www.mnhorseproperties.com

3800 240th St. Hampton, MN

Ever wanted to have a full size arena and still have a concrete pad for storing your horse trailer and farm equipment?  Check out this piece of paradise in Hampton, complete with a 4-bedroom home, a 5-stall barn with wash stall & tack room, and indoor & outdoor arenas. 

The arena is 120' by 80' and has skylights, baseboards, and windows.

There are 5 box stalls in the stable with rubber mats and sliding doors.

You can walk right out from the barn to the horse paddocks with spacious shelters.

More equipment storage attached to the stable.

Come home to this lovely entryway with tile floors and oak doors and banister.

This split level home has a lower level that opens out to the spacious backyard.

Here's the kitchen with beautiful tile backsplash and a ceiling fan. 

This stunning home has all the details as you can tell in this tile shower with a glass door. 

For more photos of the property and home, go here: http://www.donavin.com/240.html and there's a virtual tour here.  Look at more hobby farms and horse properties at www.mnhorseproperties.com

Equine Leg Anatomy: Part Three

Part Three: The Hoof

You've probably heard the old adage "no hoof, no horse" and maybe even had occasion to experience for yourself when your horse became 3-legged lame with an abscess or lost a shoe.  Horses place a lot of weight on their feet while essentially standing on their tiptoes and weighting their fingernails.  It's no wonder some pain there or an imbalance can cause such a big difference to their gait and soundness!

The pastern and bones of the foot

CLUB FEET

Club feet are abnormally upright hooves.  They typically occur in front feet and often with one hoof upright and the other hoof at a lower angle than is normal.  Club feet can be the result of tightness of the Deep Digital Flexor Tendon due to nutritional imbalance where the bones lengthen quicker than ligaments. It can also be an imbalance caused by horses adopting a habitual stance while grazing of always putting the other foot forward. There is even a genetic component and some family lines in Arabians seem prone to club feet. Sometimes this condition can be gently and gradually corrected by trimming and shoeing to even out the two front feet. Occasionally in extreme examples, surgery may be required in which vets cut the inferior check ligament to allow the heel to drop normally. 

LAMINITIS

The bones inside the foot are connected to the hoof capsule by laminae, interlocking folds on sensitive soft tissue on the outside of the bone (P3) and the inside of the hoof capsule.  These sensitive laminae can become inflamed, swollen, and weak by grain overloading (like when a horse gets loose and eats a lot of grain), too much fresh spring grass after not being exposed to it all winter, insulin resistance or illness caused by infectious disease. This is called foundering, and is very painful to the horse.  It can happen repeatedly in the case of a horse with insulin resistance where any slight changes in sugar-intake can bring on an episode or it can occur in isolated incidences where triggered by stresses on the body.

Founder can be mild and treatable or may necessitate euthanasia, depending on the severity. Extreme cases may cause the bone of the hoof (P3) to drop within the hoof capsule or to rotate downwards now that it is no longer properly supported by the laminae (see above).  

A horse can even lose it's hoof capsule entirely and shed it like a snake shedding its skin, although this is mercifully rare.  

Hoof capsule - see folds of laminae

Hoof health is very crucial for your horse's well-being. Be sure to keep your horse's diet managed carefully and introduce your horse gradually to green grass in the spring & summer.  If your horse seems ouchy on his or her feet, call a vet.  They can help you determine whether the horse has an abscess (an infected area within the hoof capsule) which though painful is very treatable, or whether it is foundering.

Next installment: Hocks & Stifles

Want to see your horses grazing at home?  Check out MN horse properties and hobby farms for sale - www.donavin.com or www.mnhorseproperties.com

MN Horse Expo this weekend!

Making plans for the weekend?  Don't forget the Minnesota Horse Expo runs this weekend from Friday through Sunday. Plan a visit for one day ($10 for adults, $6 for kids and seniors, children 5 and up are FREE).  It is open 8:30 am - 9:30 pm Friday and Saturday and 8:30 - 5 pm Sunday.  Schedules are available for all three days with complete listings of presentations, clinics, and demonstrations. Saturday night is the Rodeo and Sunday morning is Cowboy Church. Parking is FREE!

There will be all kinds of horse-related clinics, demonstrations, and shopping. You can buy anything from a brand new horse trailer to a used saddle or halter at the tack swap on site.  Wagon rides and pony rides available all weekend at no cost. The parade of breeds is very popular and you can see Friesians, Fjords, Fox Trotters, and more being ridden, driven, and lead into the Colosseum. You can also visit the horses in the horse barn, check out stallions to breed your mare to in the stallion presentations, or meet local trainers or breed associations.

Map of the State Fairgrounds & key buildings of the MN Horse Expo

There will be some famous speakers from around the world, including Pat Parelli, Craig Cameron, & Shawna Karrasch.  For a complete list, go here.

Learn about everything from dressage techniques to equine emergencies, hear from farriers, vets, trainers, and other professionals in the equine industry. 

For the best value for your money, 

don't miss the MN Horse Expo this year!

Looking for a good deal on buying 

a horse property or hobby farm of your own?  Go to www.donavin.com or www.mnhorseproperties.com

Equine Leg Anatomy: Part Two

Part Two: Tendons & Ligaments

Horses have many tendons and ligaments providing support to their legs. Ligaments passively restrict movement and prevent hyperextension, when a joint extends beyond the normal range of motion. Hyperextension can happen when a horse lands from a large jump or while galloping in a race, however of greater concern is when the cause is pathological because the ligament is too lax. This can cause ligament injuries and instability in the joints which leads to the development of arthritis. 

The primary support system of the fetlock joint is the suspensory apparatus, made up of the suspensory ligament and other ligaments cupping the fetlock joint and preventing hyperextension. Tired horses or those working in deep or uneven footing are more likely to tear their suspensory ligaments. The check ligament and the superficial and deep digital flexor tendons are also located in the horse's lower legs and run along the cannon bones.  

COMMON INJURIES OF THE FRONT LEG

Vets typically recommend ultrasounding the injury when a horse is lame with a swelling in the tendons & ligaments along the cannon bones in order to determine which ligament or tendon is torn.

Bowed tendons are strains or tears in the superficial and deep digital flexor tendons. Check ligaments, which help bear weight and support the carpal bones of the knees, are prone to injury as well.  The deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT) runs around the Navicular bone in the horse's heel so a horse with symptoms of heel pain may have strained it.

Next installment will cover club feet and laminitis.  

Want to look out your windows at your horses?  Look at hobby farms and horse properties for sale: www.mnhorseproperties.com and www.donavin.com

Equine Leg Anatomy: Part One

Dr. Christie Ward, DVM, MVSc, PhD, presented on Equine Anatomy at the Leatherdale Equine Center at the U of M Trainer's Series.  She graciously gave me permission to share my notes and photos.  

Part One: Front Leg Anatomy

Limbs are primarily made up of bone, muscles, ligaments, and tendons. Limb muscles are primarily organized in functional pairs: one set flexes while the other set extends (i.e. biceps & triceps). Did you know that horses don't have muscles below the knee?  This lessens the weight of their limbs and contributes to speed and athleticism.

Ligaments connect bone to bone and passively restrict movement by stretching when loaded and recoiling, providing bounce. Tendons connect muscle to bone.  

A horse's front leg consists of: shoulder, elbow, radius, ulna, knee (comprised of carpal bones in 2 rows), cannon bone, splint bones (on either side of the cannon bone), and the bones of the fetlock, and foot.  

Did you know that horses don't have collarbones (aka clavicles)?  The entirety of the horse's forelimb has no bony attachment to their body and is held in place by a sling mechanism of muscles. This is one reason why horses can measure different heights at different times.  For instance, when excited with muscles tensed, horses can actually be 3 inches taller than when relaxed!

The horse's splint bone don't bear weight directly, but they do provide a surface for the carpal bones of the knee.  They typically fuse to the cannon bone fairly early in the horse's life.  When young horses "pop a splint," it is usually on the inside of the front cannon bones.  This can occur when a young uncoordinated horse whacks itself, working on hard surfaces, or in small circles.

Bucked Shins

Another bone injury young horses (especially racehorses) are prone to are "bucked shins".  The front of the young horse's cannon bone becomes swollen due to microscopic painful stress fractures caused by the onset of heavy work. This can be prevented by introducing light exercise to yearlings to strengthen their bones and ligaments and only very gradually increasing the training program demands.

The other bone of the horse's front leg that you've probably heard of is the Navicular bone.  You can see it above between the pastern bones and the bone inside the hoof.  Navicular Syndrome is the name used for heel pain in horses and though the Navicular bone itself may become weakened over time, the muscles and ligaments in this area may also be the source of discomfort for the horse. Vets can help diagnose the nature of the horse's lameness and prescribe appropriate treatment.

Check back for the next installment to learn about ligaments, tendons, & the suspensory apparatus!

Want to enjoy your horses at home?  Go to www.donavin.com or www.mnhorseproperties.com to look for your horse heaven in Minnesota!

2820 245th St., Hampton, MN

Located on over 13 acres in Hampton, this hobby farm offers grass pastures, a stall barn with room for hay & equipment storage as well as some indoor riding, and a 2700 square foot 4-bedroom home.

Driveway and front pasture

Check out the expansive interior of the barn/arena, the skylights for natural light, and the storage areas for hay & equipment. You'd never have to worry about your horse trailer, RV, or tractor getting buried in snow or rusty with this barn!

There are 6 box stalls with rubber mats base flooring and blanket bars on each door.

In this view of one of the stalls, take note of the automatic waterer, feeder and salt feeder, and overhead fans to keep your horses cool in the summertime.  

This is the wash stall with rubber mats and more overhead fans.

The barn also boasts a tack/feed room with a dry erase board to keep track of each horse's grain and supplements regimen, saddle racks, storage shelves, and a sink.

The property has front and rear pastures for the horses to enjoy grass and room to stretch out their legs, or to grow your own hay if you wish to.

Rear pasture

There is a children's playset in the huge backyard and mature trees.

The deck's view of the barn

This stunning 4-bedroom home is full of windows with views of the property and horse pastures. Look at the airy kitchen with tile floors. 

The child's bedroom even has a fun little loft nook!

All of this for under $600 K!  

For more photos of the home & property, go to www.donavin.com/2820.html

To look at other hobby farms and horse properties for sale in the Twin Cities metro area, go to www.mnhorseproperties.com

Cornerstone Dressage Schooling Show

Next Sunday April 26th, Mon Cheval Training Center is hosting a dressage schooling show at Cornerstone Horse Complex which is also for sale!

The judge will be Jim Hatch. Classes including dressage suitability, bareback dressage, and western dressage as well as tests Intro-2nd level and above. Here's the showbill.

The show will be held in this 80 x 225 insulated indoor arena with excellent sand & limestone footing. Warm-up available before the show starts, during breaks, and in the 150 x 300 outdoor arena.

Stalls are available for $25 for the day.  There are lovely matted 14 x 14 concrete block stalls.

The other stalls are 10 x 10 and also rubber-matted. All heated stalls have automatic waterers.

Don't miss this amazing aerial video of the entire upscale horse property!

Go to www.donavin.com/cornerstone.html for more photos and details on the property or to arrange an official viewing.

Rhythm & Balance: Part Two

Part Two: Abnormal Rhythm & Balance

In my earlier post, I covered normal equine rhythm and balance in the 3 main gaits: walk, trot, & canter/lope. Now I’ll explain about gaitedness and common disorders.

GAITEDNESS

Researchers have found that gaited horses (such as Icelandic horses, Standardbreds, & Tennessee Walkers), have a mutation in the DMRT3 gene which permits alternate gaits.  This gene doesn’t guarantee that a horse will have alternate gaits like the tӧlt or running walk, it merely configures spinal circuits controlling gaitedness in a way that allows the legs on one side to move together laterally at a faster speed like in the Standardbred’s pace or Icelandic’s tӧlt. Researchers haven’t found any link between conformation and gaitedness.

STRINGHALT

Horses have muscle spindles with sensors for controlling magnitude and length of muscle contractions.  When these go awry, a horse can develop Stringhalt with rapid hyperflexion usually of the hind legs.  Often this is caused by ingesting toxic false dandelions (Hypchaeris radicata).  When caused by ingestion of the toxic weed and detected early enough, the condition is reseverible with treatment. However, stringhalt can be caused by trauma to a limb and sometimes the only option is to surgically cut the lateral digital extensor tendon to provide some relief.  

“WOBBLERS’ vs. EPM vs. EDM

Commonly known as “Wobblers” Syndrome, Equine CompressiveMyelopathy refers to compression of the spinal cord which causes nerve damage and resulting  incoordination of limbs (ataxia) and stumbling.  Wobblers is most often found in geldings and horses who experienced rapid growth. Symptoms are usually symmetrical, unlike in Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM), a disease caused by a parasite in wildlife feces, typically opossums and affecting 1% of horses.

EDM also causes symmetrical ataxia and incoordination in particular of the hind legs. It is usually diagnosed in foals or yearlings when severe, however it may go undetected for years if symptoms are minor.  EDM is often related to Vitamin E deficiency in utero, so it is wide to measure a broodmare’s Vitamin E levels and supplement if necessary. 

CEREBELLAR ABIOTROPHY

Found primarily in Arabians, Cerebellar Abiotrophy, is characterized by a head tremor where affected horses shake their heads left and right.  This head tremor and ataxia is often diagnosed between 6 weeks to 4 months of age. Depending on the severity, horses diagnosed with Cerebellar Abiotrophy may be prone to accidents and are not safe to be ridden and are frequently euthanized. 

“SHIVERS”

Most common in draft horses or extremely tall Warmbloods (16.3+), Shivers is typically seen in geldings and usually noticed by an unwillingness to back up.  This occurs because horses with this condition have difficulty with the coordination of flexion & extension, especially of their hind limbs.

Although these are some scary neurological conditions, the good news is that they are fairly rare and sometimes preventable (avoid toxic false dandelion ingestion, supplement pregnant mares with Vitamin E if necessary, etc.).

Want to have your own property so you can manage your horses’ access to toxic plants and wildlife?  Check out www.mnhorseproperties.com and www.donavin.com for hobby farms, acreage, and horse properties for sale.

Horse Expo season is here!

April is the season for horse expos!  Starting tomorrow, the Midwest Horse Fair in Madison will be full of of horse-related clinics, demonstrations, presentations, and shopping. There will be horses of all breeds there, including Tennessee Walkers, Norwegian Fjords, Rocky Mountain horses, Paso Finos, Gypsy Vanners, Friesians, Miniature horses, and more.  

The theme of the Midwest Horse Fair is Galloping into the Future and the Midwest Horse Fair is attracting some big names like Pat Parelli & Julie Goodnight. See the full schedule here.

Tickets are $17 a day, $45 for all 3 days.  Madison too far away for you? Wait a week and go to the Minnesota Horse Expo at the State Fair Grounds April 24-26.  

  

Go to www.mnhorseproperties.com or www.donavin.com to search for hobby farms, acreage, & horse properties in the Twin Cities metro area.

FEI World Cup Dressage 2015 Starts Tomorrow!

Today the horses and riders who qualified for the 2015 Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage warmed-up for the Grand Prix tomorrow in Las Vegas.  The FEI World Cup Dressage is the only dressage series other than the Olympics which is open to countries all around the world.

With leagues in Europe, North America, Canada, & Australia, the top riders have been attempting to qualify for the final FEI World Cup.  19 horses and their riders will be competing from 9 countries: Great Britain, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, Russia, and the United States.  Some big names will be competing, including record-breaking Charlotte Dujardin & Valegro, Isabell Werth & El Santo, and Edward Gal & Glock’s Undercover.  From the United States, Steffen Peters & Legolas and Laura Graves & Verdades will be taking on the world’s best. Check out the full list of contestants and the schedule.

Charlotte Dujardin & Valegro, Winners of the FEI World Cup 2014

If you don’t have tickets to see the series live in Las Vegas, you can watch it all online on FEITV, for a monthly subscription price of $45 (each subsequent month is only $15).  There are also options for annual subscription ($80) or 24-hour access ($27).

Prefer to ride dressage at home?  Find a horse property of your own in Minnesota on www.donavin.com or www.mnhorseproperties.com.

FEI World Cup Jumping 2015 Starts Tomorrow!

Daniel Dresseur, winner of the 2014 Longines FEI World Cup

All the horses and riders have arrived for the Longines FEI World Cup in Jumping this week in Las Vegas, Nevada.  The Longines FEI World Cup in Jumping is the premier international indoor show jumping series in the world. Riders from 13 regional areas around the world participated in qualifying events for the opportunity to compete in this series which culminates in a Jumping Final on Sunday April 19^th. 

Here is the full schedule of events.

This is the list of competitors, 12 of whom are representing the USA. Others come from The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Sweden, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Italy, Russia, Latvia, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, and even Qatar.

If you don’t have tickets to see the series live in Las Vegas, you can watch it all online on FEITV, for a monthly subscription price of $45 (each subsequent month is only $15).  There are also options for annual subscription ($80) or 24-hour access ($27).

Want to just find a horse property of your own to jump at instead? Go to www.donavin.com or www.mnhorseproperties.com to look at hobby farms for sale in Minnesota.

Sunborn Stables Schooling Show & For Sale!

24110 Morgan Ave., Chisago City, MN 55013

Register today for the schooling show at Sunborn Stables on Sunday April 26!  Classes include dressage, jumping, cross-country schooling, and games like egg & spoon. Go to SunbornStables website to download the entry form.  Here’s the link to the prize list.

Sunborn Stables is also for sale! Invest in an income-producing horse property on over 26 acres with an indoor arena, a barn, grass pastures, and paddocks. 

Here's the indoor arena and attached barn.  The indoor has a heated viewing area and tacking up area. 

These are the spacious box stalls.

The horses have paddocks with shelters and grass pastures.  You can also see the outdoor riding arena (100' x 200') in the photo below.

There are also beautiful trails around the perimeter of the property to enjoy on beautiful days.

Imagine practicing your cross-country schooling on this water complex jump!

You can also see the lovely 3600 square foot home in the background.  Here's a closer view:

Entryway

Bathroom with shower

Dining room and kitchen

More photos are available at www.donavin.com/morgan.  Looking for a horse property in a different location or for other features?  Check out www.mnhorseproperties.com