The Difference between the Barrel Racing Divisions

Barrel racing is a timed rodeo event.  The team of horse and rider must complete a pattern called a clover leaf which is created by running around three barrels set up at specific distances in an arena.  This means that there is a precise measured distance between the start line to the first barrel, the first barrel to the second barrel, and finally the second barrel to the third barrel.  The person whose horsemanship skills combined with the athleticism of his or her horse, completes the triangular pattern with the fastest time wins the event. 

The timer begins recording when the start line is crossed by the swift moving horse, and it ends when the barrel pattern has been completed and the horse and rider blaze back across the finish line.

In specific clubs, Barrel Racing events are set up with separate classes, such as youth or senior classes.  However, divisions are the most common way to separate the horse and rider teams.  The divisions are determined by the speed a horse runs the cloverleaf pattern.  The Divisions or D races are split using the designations:   1D, 2D, 3D, 4D, 5D and 6D.  1D class are run by the horses and riders with the fastest times.  The National Barrel Racing Association splits the divisions into categories determined by .5 seconds.  The fastest time is a 1D, then the 2D would be 5 seconds slower than the 1D time.  6D is reserved for horses and riders that run the course more slowly or perhaps for young horses schooling. 

After a time, horses become more consistent, and then are generally advertised with a number and a D, wherever their speed is calculated to fit within a certain division.  An example of this would be the selling of a 1D horse.  This would be in indication to the prospective buyer that this is a fast finished and generally more expensive Barrel Racing horse!

  

 

The History of Kentucky's Rolex

This week is one of the most exciting in the world of Eventing.  At the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington Kentucky, the Rolex CCI****(four star) event is being held!  It is the only four star (****) event in the Western Hemisphere.  This very prestigious show is an eventing competition held at the same level as Eventing in the Olympics.  $80,000.00 dollars is awarded to the first place winner along with a Rolex watch.  A total purse of $250,000 dollars is awarded to top winning riders.  The show is four days long, and because so many riders participate, the dressage competition begins on Thursday and goes through Friday, with Saturday being the cross-country day, and Sunday is the show-jumping competition. 

How did this event begin?  In 1974 the U.S. won the individual (Bruce Davidson) and team gold in the World Championships.  This gave the honor of holding the world championships to the United States.  In 1978 The Kentucky Horse Park was planning to open, and it was the perfect venue for the World Championships.

More than 170,000 spectators attended, and the event was broadcast worldwide.  Because the event was such a success, and was economically stimulating for the local economy, it was quickly decided that it should become an annual event.  Today it is broadcast in over 18 languages and reaches millions of people. 

RevitaVet is the proud sponsor of these Rolex riders:  Phillip Dutton, Buck Davidson, Sally Cousins, James Alliston, Hawley Bennett-Awad, Allie Knowles, Katie Ruppel and Becky Holder.

 

Let's Talk about Hunt Seat

Hunt seat is a type of forward seat riding steeped in the history and tradition of foxhunting.  Riders can choose to ride on the flat or over fences for showing hunters.  In Hunter under Saddle, or Hunter over Fences classes, the horse’s form, or conformation and way of moving and correct way of jumping, are judged.  Equitation classes are judged more upon the rider’s form and skill on the flat or jumping over small fences.  This includes the correct leg position, forgiving hands, heels positioned with the weight in them, a good and balanced posture, eyes forward and looking up, and when jumping over fences, the rider is focused towards the next jump.  The movement of the equitation horse is usually more collected than the show hunter.  This permits the rider to better regulate the stride for tricky combinations.

Keep in mind, that hunt seat can refer to any form of forward seat riding found also in eventing and showjumping.  Many professional show jumpers start by riding in hunter and equitation classes prior to progressing into the jumper division.

Jumper classes are judged on the ability of a horse and rider team to complete a jumping course with the fewest faults and within the fastest time.  The horse that competes as a show jumper is usually a horse with a higher energy level and more power than a horse that competes as a hunter.  It is rare for a horse to have the ability to show in both hunter and show jumping classes, as the style, disposition and way of going are quite different.

Hunter under saddle and Hunter over fences classes can be found in many breed registry shows.  Sometimes the Hunter under Saddle class is called English Pleasure, depending on which registry is sponsoring the show.  Thoroughbreds and Warmbloods are the most common types of horses shown in hunt seat classes.  Irrespective of the breed, the horse should have a conformation that includes very little knee action, good form over jumps, a long stride and an easy going, well-mannered attitude.  

How Infrared Light Helps to Heal Major and Minor Problems

Infrared light therapy has been proven to heal many major as well as minor injuries.  Physiological changes have been scientifically proven in these areas:

·        Inflammation and pain reduction with an increase in circulation to the injured tissues.

·        Scar tissue has been minimized

·        Acceleration of cellular growth and reproduction

·        More nitric oxide is released

·        A surge in RNA/DNA synthesis occurs

·        The Lymphatic system is stimulated and toxins expelled

·        Increase in the pre-healing stage called phagocytosis 

·        Activates the creation of collagen and adenosine triphosphates (ATP)

·        Accelerates the production of endorphins and enkephalins (pain relievers)

 

Any injury or Problem that can plague your horse will respond to light therapy, some examples are:  Abscesses, Arthritis, Bowed Tendons, Bone Spavins, Navicular or other Hoof related problems, Sore Back, Splints, Sore Muscles, Stifle Problems, Wind Puffs, even fractures have been proven to heal in a fraction of the normal healing time, and the list goes on.

The red light that is visible can penetrate beneath the dermis to a depth of 8-10mm.  This light helps to treat injuries such as cuts, scrapes, scars and it stimulates acupuncture points.  It is also beneficial in healing infections.  Infrared light, or the light that you cannot see pulsing, penetrates to a depth of 30-40mm.  This light travels deeper to stimulate the healing of deep muscle injuries, joints, Arthritis etc.

So contact RevitaVet today to find out more about the amazing technology of Infrared Light Therapy and help your equine friend live pain free.

 

Choosing a Barrel Racing Horse

They always make it look so easy while they blaze from barrel to barrel circling like lightning and exploding towards home.  What looks easy usually isn’t.  Barrel racing champions can spend years looking for a horse with explosive athleticism, good substantial bone and excellent conformation.  A calm mind is a must as well.

It’s true, whoever runs the pattern the fastest wins, however, choosing a good barrel racing horse must be determined by the level of experience of the rider.  Older horses with a strong barrel racing foundation should be chosen for riders new to this game.  Often horses in their teens and twenties are still running strong, so a beginner should not avoid them because of their age.

More experienced riders can afford the luxury of “making” their own barrel racing horse by purchasing a prospect.  This way, they can train the horse and create the habits and specific ways of running and turning etc. that they prefer.

Quarter horses dominate the sport; however, any breed can be entered into most rodeo organizations.  Many top barrel racers choose to cross speed bred horses, such as racing Quarter Horses or Thoroughbreds with cow bred horses.   This combination gives them the speed and the lightning fast turns that are going to make a winner.  Other riders prefer smaller more maneuverable horses, and thus they stay within the cow horse lines.  Keep in mind, there is not a good or bad choice for bloodlines when it comes to a barrel racing prospect.  Some popular barrel racing lines are:  Dash for Cash, Firewater Flit, On the Money Red, Easy Jet, and Frenchman’s Guy, just to name a few.

Everyone will agree that conformation is the most important aspect of choosing a barrel racing horse.  Many people prefer a horse with a lower center of gravity, so that they are steadier on their feet; however, many champions have been 16 hands tall or sometimes even taller.  A short back, good shoulder and hip angles, a powerful hindquarter and good straight legs that can take a lot of concussion are important.  A good manageable temperament is also important, along with a desire to win attitude that fires up only when it is asked.  This kind of temperament can be challenging to find, as many horses will lose their heads, and become increasingly difficult to handle, outside of the arena as well as inside of it, once they get a taste for speed.

So carefully assess your riding level and then shop around for the perfect fit.  Over time, each person determines their own unique likes and dislikes.  Being comfortable and feeling safe on a large mass of muscle that is moving at lightning speed is the most important, so choose wisely, and most of all have fun! 

The Importance of Breeding Eventing Horses

A multi-discipline education is important to riders in the world of eventing.  Many top riders who later became specialist in a specific discipline were, at one time, eventing riders.  From Reiner Klimke to George Morris, each one rode in multiple disciplines before settling on their chosen specialty.  Likewise many eventing bred horses have gone on to perform at top levels in more than one sport.

A great eventing horse must be the all around sport horse in order to take his or her rider to the top.  They must have the even temperament and steadiness to accomplish a top level dressage test, the courage of a lion and extreme intelligence to maneuver jumps that are technically difficult and unmoving, and the attention to detail, scope, stamina and soundness to clear a difficult show jumping course after having galloped and jumped a mile course the day before. 

There human counterparts are the triathletes who receive accolades, while often the amazing abilities of the equine athletes go without recognition.  The ability for these horses to excel in not just one or two but three difficult events, makes them the ideal breed for the majority of riders even if they may only want to compete in one discipline. 

Top level show jumping and dressage horses have a value that is generally three times that of a top level eventing horse, and the fee for a well known sire is sometimes 15 times higher than for an eventing stallion.  The commercial viability is what drives 80 percent of the sport horse breeding market today.

One notable rider competed on his horses not only in eventing, and show jumping, but also in steeple chase.  His name was Bill Roycroft of Australia.  When Bill was 50 years old he took one of his three multi discipline Thoroughbreds, Stony Crossing and competed him at Badminton.  Remarkably this 7 year old horse had just given Bill the thrill of his life the month before by finishing third in Britain’s premier race, the Cheltenham Gold Cup, a three and a half mile steeplechase.

Only a small number of breeders are specializing in breeding specifically eventing type horses.  However, it should be noted, that doing so benefits the sport horse world in general.  With willing temperaments, the ability to change and adapt quickly, stamina, soundness and the litheness to compete on grueling courses year after year, this makes them top athletes!  All of this is combined with the fact that often these horses go on, years later, to have other careers in different disciplines at top levels of those competitions as well.  For example, many top eventing equines have gone on to be Grand Prix jumpers or Grand Prix dressage horses.

Breeding top sport horses that excel in eventing, gives everyone the opportunity to own a superior athlete, even if they only want to compete in one discipline.

The History of the Spanish Arabian

The beautiful graceful Arabian horse can trace its genetic history to the seventh century.

It is known that the Arabic people, otherwise known as the Moors, were pushed out of Spain in 1492.  The Moors had occupied this country for eight hundred years.  It is known that they brought with them Arabian horses, and left them behind when they fled.   Columbus and Cortez brought horses with Arabian blood to the New World, and left them behind rather than make them suffer the arduous journey back to Spain.  Although the lineage of these horses has been lost, as early as 1847 a stud book was established by the Queen of Spain.  These old bloodlines are written in Arabic and kept in the “Golden Book” in Madrid.  The book is called:  Importado de Desierto por S.M. la Reina D. Isabella II.

In the early days of importing these horses to Spain by the government, they were considered an important war machine, and the selecting, buying, and breeding of them was done by the Department of War.  This is still true today at the Yeguada Militar of Spain.  Often the Arab blood was used to improve native stock; however, purebred horses were also produced.  From 1905-1927, groups of military officers and veterinarians were sent to Egypt, Turkey, Polish-Russia, and France in search of top bloodlines. 

From 1927-1930 the Fifteenth Duque De Veragua imported horses purchased from Lady Wentworth at Crabbet Park, and also horses bred by Cecil Hough. 

The Duque was fanatical about producing and breeding the best purebred Arabian horses, and would go to great lengths to achieve this end.   In her memoirs, a note was written that stated that Lady Wentworth regretted selling her finest Skowronek daughters to the Duque.  In 1936, during the Spanish Civil War, the Duque, his family and servants were killed, and his palace and papers, including breeding records, were burned.  Unfortunately, Veragua Stud, the all important breeding facility met the same fate.   More than seven hundred Spanish Arabians lost their lives during this war; however, some of the mares and foals were moved to safety.  Because the pedigree records were lost, many of the dam lines that can be traced back to that time, will begin with the words “Veragua mares.”

Today, Spanish Arabians are bred in breeding programs all over the world.  Because of their small gene pool, the emphasis has been placed on outcrossing them.  Spanish and Egyptian crosses are prevalent, and both the purebred and Spanish/Egyptian crossed horses have gone on to become National Champions on the Arabian Horse Show Circuit. Spanish Arabians are known to have quiet temperaments, large eyes, athletic conformation, and are highly intelligent.