Nancy Shulins and Eli

Photo Courtesy Nancy Shulins

As an infertile woman consigned to the suburbs, I developed a dread of kid-centric holidays that began with Halloween and reached a painful crescendo on Mother’s Day.

I learned to stay indoors on the second Sunday in May rather than risk running into the neighborhood moms. How I envied them their sticky breakfast trays and garishly crayoned cards. I envied them their stretch marks and sleep deprivation, too, having had plenty of time to romanticize motherhood while being shot full of hormones and injected with dyes.

Unlike the perpetually pregnant women on my cul de sac, all I managed to have were miscarriages. After my fourth, having run out of money and time, my husband and I gave up on babies. The Mother’s Day that followed was especially brutal.

Then hope arrived in the form of a scrawny, spooky, accident-prone chestnut Thoroughbred with one white sock and a star on his forehead. I had only just begun riding again after a 20-year hiatus when this unruly 6-year-old bounced into my life. I was 42 and no one’s idea of an athlete. I bought him anyway, to fill the gaping hole in my life where the kids should have been.

In retrospect, we belonged in the Odd Couple Hall of Fame. And yet, from the very beginning, I was sure we were meant to be. I named him Eli, and taught him how to give kisses. He taught me how to give everything, and in so doing, I finally got a glorious glimpse of what motherhood is truly about.

Because a love like ours deserved to be shared, I wrote a memoir about my 1,254-pound bundle of joy called Falling For Eli: How I Lost Heart, Then Gained Hope Through the Love of a Singular Horse.

That word, singular, sounded awkward but felt right. I used it because I was sure there had never been another horse like him, certainly none capable of inspiring a depressed, infertile, middle-aged non-athlete to reinvent herself as an aspiring dressage queen.

Or so I’d thought.

“Hi there,” a woman named Jennifer wrote, within hours of the book hitting the shelves. “I have an Eli, too. There are so many of us.”

I wondered if that could be true. I didn’t have long to wait. Women whose children were horses began contacting me in droves.

“I, too, believe that I can fulfill the emptiness that I feel almost every day through a horse,” wrote Kelly, who’s 50 and childless.

“Loved your book and identified so closely!” wrote Donna. “I was able back in the Sixties to adopt two wonderful children, but when the empty nest started, I learned to jump and bought my lifesaver.”

I then heard from Terri: “I always love to talk to others that love their four-legged kids so much. And your story about not being able to give birth is something I really understand, having gone through my own medical issues to later adopt our daughter when she was 13.”

Maria, who took up riding two years ago at age 54, sent me this email: “I can relate to you in so many ways. A love of horses, married with no children, riding as an adult, being a Virgo and over-thinking things.”

Melanie weighed in next. “I am compelled to write to you as I also have an off-the-track chestnut Thoroughbred gelding, 16.2 hands, named Eli.... I am also childless and have a deep connection with this amazing horse.”

Meanwhile, over on Amazon.com, Catherine posted this customer review: “I felt as if the author was telling my own story and after reading it...I have given the book to my family to read to help them understand my feelings as a childless person who feels like her horses ARE her children.”

A reviewer wrote in the New York Journal of Books: “Men and women who have shared the infertility experience will find words that speak for them and to them in this book.”

After it appeared, I gave an interview to Pamela Tsigdinos, an infertility blogger and author of Silent Sorority: A Barren Woman Gets Busy, Angry, Lost and Found. She asked: “Knowing what you know now, what would you tell your younger self, the one surrounded by baby carriages in suburban Connecticut?”

I replied that I’d tell myself to stop hiding in my house and seek common ground with the neighborhood moms I was trying so hard to avoid.

I felt proud when a woman in Los Angeles wrote: “I’m glad I read this after becoming a mother; I’m not sure I could have appreciated how similar the emotions are, whether your baby is twelve pounds or 1,200. It certainly made me more sensitive to those who want but do not have kids and how incredibly generous they have been to celebrate the birth of my daughter with me.”

And so it went. I heard it again and again and again, from women who came to my book-signings, shared their horses’ pictures on Eli’s Facebook page, and wrote letters, emails and reviews.

It pleases me to see Eli becoming a vehicle, literally and figuratively, inspiring discussions that have cut a wide swath through the barnyards and nurseries of middle-aged motherhood.

A wise woman in Belgium put it this way: “Sometimes our children don’t look at all like us...sometimes our children have paws or hooves, fur or manes, wagging tails or large pointed ears. Sometimes our babies weigh 1,200 pounds. We love them in spite of--or perhaps because of--these things.”

Jennifer was right. We are a tribe and a sisterhood, and there are so many of us. We have cobbled together our families from hooves and hearts, feathers and fur, and our hearts are as full as any mother’s heart.
I once thought there should be a day set aside for those of us whose babies weigh 1,200 pounds, whose children don’t look at all like us.

But then I realized: There already is.

Happy Mother’s Day.

Falling for Eli by Nancy Shulins is an oversized paperback, 253 pages long, published in 2012 by Lifelong Books. It is available from HorseBooksEtc.com for $15.99 plus shipping and handling.

Like a needle on a gauge, your horse’s head position is an indicator of his emotional state. When his head rises, he’s tense and prepared for flight; when it lowers, he’s relaxed and at ease. By teaching a drop-head response, you can ask your horse to calm down on cue—especially useful if your horse is the nervous or spooky type.

I’ll explain how to teach the cue from the ground, then from the saddle. It’s straightforward, but does take patience on your part in the beginning.

From the ground. Put your horse in a rope halter with training lead. Place your thumb and index finger on the knot just below your horse’s chin and apply gentle, steady pressure downward. You’re not trying to pull the head down; you’re just applying pressure as a cue. Watch your horse carefully, and the instant he drops his head even a fraction, release the pressure and praise him. (It’s better to err on the side of releasing a bit too soon than a bit too late.) Then ask again.

The first few inches down will be a challenge. Be patient and keep at it. Once your horse gets the concept, he’ll soon be dropping his head all the way to the ground every time you ask. Eventually, encourage him to keep his head down at ground level for a few minutes, to allow time for him to feel the serenity that naturally comes from a lowered head.

From the saddle. Once your horse responds reliably to the cue from the ground, tack him up (a snaffle bit is best for this) and try it mounted. From a standstill, shorten one rein a bit, lift that hand slightly to apply light pressure to your horse’s mouth, then just wait. You’ll feel tempted to increase the pressure to get a response—but don’t. Apply just enough pressure that your horse begins to look for a way out of it.

Then, the instant he drops his head even slightly, release the rein entirely and praise him lavishly. Don’t worry if he moves about a little while you’re working on this; just focus on the head dropping and release whenever he complies. As before, the first few inches will be challenging, so be patient. Once your horse figures it out, he’ll begin to respond quickly and willingly.

Then practice the drop-head cue frequently on an ongoing basis, especially any time your horse becomes tense or fearful. Eventually, your horse may start dropping his head on his own whenever he begins to feel nervous or anxious, “self-medicating” himself in order to feel calmer. Now that is a result worth working for!

Julie Goodnight, known for her ability to teach horses and riders of all skill levels, hosts “Horse Master with Julie Goodnight” on RFD-TV. She also presents clinics nationwide from her home base near Salida, Colorado (juliegoodnight.com).

Madison Harris is a senior at Berry College in Rome, Georgia, studying Business Management. As team member of the Berry Hunt Seat team, Madison has held the captain's position of Historian for 3 years as well. On top of team, riding her Appendix Quarter Horse mare, Sassie, and participating in the IHSA Media Internship, she also started and manages her own photography business called MHarris Photography. Photography and horses are two of her passions and she is incredibly excited to be helping out with the Practical Horseman coverage this year in Harrisburg.

Nicole Mandracchia has been riding for over 10 years and is a working student at James and Robin Fairclough’s Top Brass Farm in Newton, New Jersey. She helps tend to the farm's 25 driving and jumping horses. She grooms and shows at major horse shows on the East Coast, such as HITS Saugerties and Ocala, Garden State, the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show, the Pennsylvania National and Lake Placid. She attends Centenary College and is the senior captain of the IHSA team where she has been competing in the Open level for four years. Nicole is planning to graduate in May 2013 with an Equine Studies degree with a concentration in Communications.

For the latest results and information about the 2013 IHSA Nationals, click HERE. Watch live streaming of all the action HERE.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Nicole Mandracchia's Blog: Final Hunt Seat Day at IHSA Nationals: I heard one of my favorite songs, “Titanium” by Sia, come over the loudspeaker this morning while all our horses were out schooling. I sang along with it for a few bars and then turned to one of my teammates with a smile. “It’s going to be a good day—this is a good song.” He looked at me like I was crazy, but I was getting good vibes.

As the saying goes, it ain’t over until it’s over. It seemed as though Centenary’s luck finally turned around today. Senior Cori Reich won the coveted USEF/Cacchione Cup title, something she has been working very hard for. This is the third time in five years that a Centenary rider has claimed this title; graduate Lindsay Clark won it in 2009 and graduate Marissa Cohen won in 2011.

It was so stressful listening to the announcer list the riders’ names in reverse order of placing during the awards presentation. Our entire team was there to cheer for her when her name was called in first place—we were all in tears. After all the ribbon pictures were taken, we stormed into the arena and enveloped her in a group hug. There are so many of us that I’m sure it looked like a stampede! Cori is amazing and we are so proud of her.

Our Open Flat rider, junior Kathryn Haley, scored a win for us in Team Open Flat. The judges did not call the riders back for further testing like they did last year. Instead, they asked the riders to drop their stirrups to the right and perform flatwork without them, including a lengthening of stride at the canter. Katie rode beautifully and with the same grace and poise that she always has. I wish I could flat as well as she can!

That win brought us to a tie with Goucher College for 5^th overall in the team placings, which was the same placing we received last year. Being one of the top five teams in the country is pretty good and we’ll definitely take it! Skidmore and St. Lawrence deserved the win—their riders were exceptional all week. Stanford University jumped to the Reserve Championship, which was great for them! The Savannah College of Art and Design was third and Mount Holyoke was fourth.

The show always does three sportsmanship awards to recognize three individuals who have worked hard all week to make Nationals possible. Rebecca Folk of Lafayette College won the Rider Award, Erin Githens of Lafayette College won the Coach Award and Centenary’s very own Amy Gregonis won the Volunteer Award. Congratulations to them—all were very deserving!

There’s also a Horse of the Show award given to the horse that has been the most consistent all week and has been a favorite among riders and coaches. Centenary’s King won this award, and he proudly posed in the winner’s circle. He will receive free SmartPaks for a year and won a beautiful bridle, which we want him to wear in his lessons every day. Centenary has had King for 7 years, and he has been such a great addition to our program. He has taught countless riders how to ride and always comes to Nationals with us. He also does ANRC Nationals, IDA shows at Centenary, IHSA shows at Centenary and Hunter/Jumper team shows. He a professional and knows his job well.

After the award presentations, we packed up our equipment and horses to go home. This was the last IHSA show of my college career—I graduate from Centenary in two weeks. It’s so surreal and I do not know where the past four years have gone. IHSA has been a part of my college career from day 1; I have always been committed to our team. I have learned so many essential riding skills competing in IHSA shows in Zone 3, Region 3. As a captain, I’ve learned the value of teamwork and how to run horse shows successfully and efficiently. I have learned how to get the best out of my team and encourage them to work hard and never give up. I’ve made so many life-long friends that I will never forget and will always keep in touch with. And most importantly, I’ve learned horsemanship skills that will last a lifetime.

Ultimately, we had a great year and that’s all that really matters. We were undefeated, winning every show all semester and we claimed the Zone 3 Finals Championship. None of Centenary’s success would have been possible without the help of all 60 people on our team, and I thank each and every one of them for one of the best years our team has ever had. I can’t thank our coaches Michael Dowling and Heather Clark enough for all their support and dedication to the team. All those no-stirrup lessons and practices ultimately made us stronger riders. It has been an honor to work with each member of this team, and I hope that they will learn as much from IHSA as I did.

2013 IHSA Nationals ended in a tie this year between Skidmore and St. Lawrence. Both coaches had wonderful things to say about the other team. Mary Drueding (St. Lawrence): "I'd rather share than lose the title. I'm incredibly proud of Zone 2 in itself. We have strong riders, strong coaches, and we all fight until the 8th class on the last day." Belinda (Asst. Coach of Skidmore): "This was a really special camaraderie and we're both thrilled to share the title within Zone 2."

© Madison Harris

I have to share this photo of my own team, Berry College, who claimed 6th place today. On a personal note, we have fought the past three years of my college career to reach Nationals and haven't made it as a team past Zones. This year, after an undefeated season, my team made it to Nationals. I have never been a part of such a hard-working and supportive group of people before and I was proud to watch them accomplish this goal. This was probably the greatest present I could've received at the end of my senior year. Go Vikings!

© Madison Harris

King, the Dutch Warmblood from Centenary College, won Champion Hunt Seat Horse of 2013 Nationals. What a beautiful guy!

© Madison Harris

I had the chance for a quick word with Peter Leone after the Cacchione Cup final. He stated: "The Cacchione final testing was Maclay caliber of skill. All the coaches and teams should be incredibly proud of their riders. I was impressed."

© Madison Harris

We have some fantastic video footage provided from a number of sources this week!

© Madison Harris

Running the in-gate at a horse show, especially Nationals, takes a large amount of skill and multitasking. I caught our manager, Chris Mitchell, in the middle of a vary precarious situation involving the balance of coffee and calling riders.

© Madison Harris

Everyone has a tendency to stop and check out the coveted Hunt Seat National Champion trophy, I know I have a couple of times.

© Madison Harris

Meet Lucy! Lucy is a 12 year old, Dutch Warmblood, who is owned by the United States Military Academy. After speaking to her owners, Lucy was found by a friend of the family and shared with them her remarkable talent as a jumper. Lucy has been a show-favorite this week due to her floppy ears as she listens to her riders. As her owner said: "She's known for it, and sometimes you can't really help how big your head is!"

© Madison Harris

While we're here with our teammates cheering us on, we have a tendency to forget how proud our parents are of us. As our number one fans since we start our careers, countless hours are spent watching ringside. They stick with us through the highs and lows, the falls, the smiles, and most of all, the moments that matter most. I had the pleasure of capturing Flavia D'urso's father watching from the gate as Flavia received her Champion ribbon in Collegiate Open Equitation Over Fences for Skidmore College. Not a single person could help but smile as he pointed her out in excitement and pride.

© Madison Harris

The final 10 riders from the Cacchione Cup line up for the awards ceremony.

© Madison Harris

Peter Leone is present today at Nationals. Winning riders have been awarded his "Show Jumping Clinic" book as a prize here. All 10 of the Cacchione riders received a book as a token of competition. Peter is a Member of the United States Equestrian Team and has represented the United States on numerous occasions including in 1982 when he helped the U.S. finish fourth in the World Championships in Dublin, Ireland, and in 1996 when he and Crown Royal Legato were part of the USET's Silver Medal team at the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta.

© Madison Harris

Cori Reich, of Centenary College, becomes emotional as she is left standing in the lineup as the winner of the 2013 Cacchione Cup. After finishing 15th last year in the Cacchione Cup, Reich was ecstatic with this accomplishment. Speaking to her after the awards, she "thanked Heather and Michael for pushing her incredibly hard and expecting a lot out of her and her teammates. That's how accomplishments are made."

© Madison Harris

The Cacchione Cup is a wrap! Final standings were: Cori Reich, from Centenary (Champion), Flavia D'Urso, from Skidmore (Reserve Champion) and Blake Roberts from Virginia Intermont (Third).

© Madison Harris

Here's the mounting arena where the riders meet their horses. Afterward they make the walk through the tunnel to the competition arena.

© Madison Harris

When the spring weather finally comes, you may be anxious to quickly stow the winter gear so that you can get on with enjoying the sunshine with your horses. But if you take the time to clean your turnout blankets thoroughly and store them away carefully, you’ll extend their useful life--and you’ll thank yourself when it’s time to get them back out this fall. Follow these steps to keep stored blankets in good shape.

1. Wash them well. A quick spray-down with the hose may be enough to clean lightly soiled blankets, but for the best results, take them to a laundromat. (Before you go, be sure to ask whether they will allow horse items in their machines.) Run the rinse cycle twice to ensure no detergent residue is left behind.

2. Dry thoroughly. Hang the blankets in the sun until they are completely dry; this could take a day or more for heavier items. Storing them while they’re still damp can lead to mold.

3. Repair or replace, as needed. Examine all the fabric, stitching and hardware for loose connections, wear and holes. Have any repairs done now; waiting until the fall can leave you short of time as the cold weather approaches. Spring is also a good time to buy replacement blankets, if needed. You may catch a good sale, and you won’t have to rush to find one later.

4. Store them securely. Fold the blankets neatly and place them inside large plastic bags, then stack them in a dry place. To provide even more security against nesting rodents, store your blankets in clean trash cans or storage bins with lockable lids.

This article first appeared in EQUUS issue #427.

This is a story of a stupid mistake---one that led to a terrifying accident that could easily have cost my horse’s life. I still get anxious thinking about what happened that day, and part of me would like to forget it entirely, but I think it’s important to share my story. My goal is to remind people not to fall into bad habits or to forget that horses---even those you know and trust---are large, powerful and unpredictable animals.

My husband, Kurt, and I own a few acres in Columbia, Missouri, that gives us just enough space to keep a small herd for our family to enjoy. Our setup isn’t fancy, but it serves us well.

For my birthday one year Kurt built me a small but cozy barn that included one very large 10- by 20-foot stall and a smaller 10- by 10-foot stall. The walls are four feet of tongue-and-groove boards topped with vertical metal bars. The gaps between the bars are small---only 2  inches---but they allow plenty of light and air to flow through.

At the time of the accident we owned three horses: Cloud, a registered Quarter Horse gelding; Britches, a 12-year-old Haflinger gelding; and Jiffy, a 3-year-old Welsh pony cross. I’d bought Cloud just a year before; I’d been looking for a smallish, well-trained, unflappable horse, and he was a perfect fit. He was years younger and only slightly taller than Britches, so I didn’t anticipate my new horse would have any problems settling in. I was right. Britches took an immediate liking to Cloud, and they became good friends.

During the day, the three horses could come and go into the barn and stalls at will. I’d often find Cloud and Britches dozing together in the larger stall. To accommodate them at feeding time, I hung grain tubs at opposite ends of the larger stall and one in the smaller stall, for Jiffy, and I’d let Cloud and Britches eat their meal together.

Occasionally, I’d lock the two of them in the stall together for short periods of time--never longer than it took to receive a hay delivery or mow the fields. Neither horse had ever shown any aggression toward the other, and the stall-sharing arrangement worked well.

Until one day, it didn’t.

One Saturday morning in September 2009 I went out to await a shipment of hay. To get the horses out of the way I dumped a handful of grain into each corner feeder. Just as he always had, Cloud walked into the large stall and went to the far corner to
eat. Britches ambled in after him and went to his own corner, while Jiffy headed into the small stall. I then closed both doors.

Moments later I heard a horrible ruckus, and I spun around just in time to see Cloud kicking out at Britches with both hind legs. The kicks were high and powerful. There was no doubt he meant business. As Cloud backed up to take aim again, the pony scooted out of his way.

Cloud’s next kick missed Britches and landed squarely on the stall bars, four feet above the floor. His left rear hoof struck the metal with such force that it bent the bars just enough to allow his foot to slip through. His leg immediately dropped to the surface of the wooden wall, leaving Cloud standing on three legs, with his left hind stretched backward and upward, his hoof trapped between two thick metal bars. It happened in a split second.

Cloud panicked. He lunged forward and back, trying to pull his hoof free. With each attempt to back up, he pushed his leg into the adjacent stall almost to his hock. Then he’d scramble forward, scraping his skin down to the fetlock. Each time he lunged, it seemed he could rip his foot right off. It was horrifying to watch, and I was sure he was going to break his leg.

Two factors probably saved Cloud that day. One was that I had my cell phone in my pocket, and the second was that Kurt was home. He came running from the house as soon as I called him. I opened the stall door to let Britches out and tried to calm Cloud from a distance, but I didn’t want to get too close. He was wild-eyed with fear and pain.

With one glance at the situation Kurt sprinted to the garage and came back with a pry bar to widen the gap for Cloud’s foot. But he couldn’t get the leverage he needed to bend the bars.

Cloud’s panicky, crazed lunging continued, and his leg was becoming a bloody, raw mess. I feared he was stripping his flesh to the bone.

Kurt then ran into the adjacent stall and grabbed Cloud’s trapped hoof. I have no idea how he managed to hold onto it as Cloud continued to struggle, but he did. Arm muscles bulging, he lifted the gelding’s hoof high enough to reach the slight gap where the bars had been bent by the impact of the kick. Lifting the leg to such a steep angle must have caused Cloud intense pain. But with a mighty shove, and aided by a final lunge forward, Kurt forced Cloud’s hoof back through the bars.

The leg had been trapped for maybe 10 or 15 minutes.

Damage done
Cloud stood alone in the large stall, holding the injured limb in the air, his blood streaming down and pooling on the stall floor. With shaking hands, I called our veterinary clinic, and within 15 minutes Tawna Purcell, DVM, arrived at the farm.

Purcell listened carefully to our account as she examined Cloud’s leg. Then she gave him an injection of a sedative, xylazine. If his leg was injured and he placed his full weight on it in a fit of panic, he could make the situation much worse.

Within a few minutes, Cloud relaxed and rested the hoof gingerly on the ground. Purcell gave him an injection of phenylbutazone to control his pain and the inflammation, then she palpated and flexed his leg, looking for any indication of fracture, such as an area of extreme swelling or tenderness. Nothing made her immediately suspect a bone or joint injury, although that didn’t mean he didn’t have one; if he did, it just wasn’t obvious.

Next she began cleaning Cloud’s wounds, which, it turned out, looked worse than they actually were. In fact, most were just superficial abrasions that hadn’t removed any more than the top layer of skin. One deeper cut midway between his hock and fetlock gaped open and bled freely, but no bones or tendons were visible.

By the time Purcell was finished, Cloud’s leg looked much better, and he was bearing weight on it, but we were not yet out of danger. Cloud showed signs of pain as his fetlock joint was flexed, which, Purcell explained, might indicate some fractures in the area. Another possibility was that he avulsed a collateral ligament of the fetlock joint---in other words, pulled the ligament free from the bone. She took a series of radiographs of his pastern, fetlock and cannon bone to view later at the office.

Purcell covered Cloud’s wounds with Thermazene, a silver sulfadiazine-based antibiotic wound cream, and wrapped his leg from hock to hoof. Then, to protect his lower leg in case he had sustained serious bone or tendon injury, she used layers and layers of padding to create a thick Robert Jones bandage. She also applied a standing wrap to support Cloud’s uninjured right rear leg--sometimes, horses who injure one leg and are forced to bear a disproportionate amount of weight on the opposite side may develop laminitis in the “good” foot. Purcell left me a tube of phenylbutazone with instructions to continue administering it over the
coming days.

Rest and recuperation
Within an hour Purcell called to say that the radiographs showed no evidence of fractures or avulsions. That was wonderful news. But she did warn me that Cloud might have strained his ligaments by pulling so hard with his leg locked in such a high position. She suggested I keep him in his stall and leave the bandage on until she returned on Monday morning. I was to remove the bandage only if I saw any swelling of the leg in the region above the wraps.

Cloud was miserable confined to his stall. I spent most of the next day with him, brushing his beautiful coat, combing his tail, feeding him carrots, and wondering whether he would recover. I examined the leg above his hock so many times, I think I burned the image into my retina. The more I looked at it, the more I imagined it was puffing up. But Kurt, who came out to check on us four or five times that day, reassured me that the leg was not swollen.

Purcell removed the thick bandage when she returned on Monday morning, which was a bit dicey because the gauze pads were stuck to the wounds, but Cloud didn’t put up much of a fuss. I then walked him carefully around the exam area. To everyone’s relief, he was reasonably sound, considering what he had been through.

After examining the leg again and watching him move, Purcell said she doubted Cloud had sustained any serious injuries to his bones, ligaments or joints. His slight lameness, she said, was most likely the result of lingering pain from sore muscles he’d sustained during his struggle against the bars.

Still, we weren’t entirely out of the woods. As Purcell rebandaged Cloud, she said that we would have to wait to see if he developed a bony sequestrum. Sometimes, she explained, significant trauma bruises and kills a portion of a bone, which separates from the parent bone. The body treats that fragment of dead bone as a foreign object and tries to get rid of it--the signs are a horribly swollen leg and lameness that develops anywhere from one to three weeks after the initial injury.

The only treatment for a sequestrum is to surgically remove the dead bone fragment. Although Purcell assured me that the procedure is fairly straightforward and usually successful, we both hoped to avoid this complication.

Full recovery
Cloud was unhappy the next day, Tuesday. He’s not accustomed to confinement, and he paced in his stall all day. I gave him all the good-quality hay he wanted, but I could see that he was already losing weight.

Purcell came back on Wednesday to change the bandage. She had offered to show me how to do it myself, but I was too afraid I’d miss something, or wrap him too loosely or too tightly. The visit went smoothly, and Purcell told me I could begin hand-walking Cloud twice a day, which would help him cope with stall confinement.

She returned again late the next day and was pleased when she removed the bandage---the abrasions were healing nicely. She rewrapped both hind legs with plain standing wraps and turned Cloud loose in the ring for the first time since his accident. He cantered and bucked and had a great time. He was still noticeably lame at the trot, but Purcell said that was not surprising. He was probably still sore.

It was now up to me to take on cleaning, medicating and rewrapping Cloud’s leg every day. His wounds continued to heal well, and he was getting sounder, although I worried he was getting depressed because he couldn’t yet join his herdmates.

Purcell returned for a follow-up check when Cloud’s injury was two weeks old. The skin was nearly healed, but he had developed a two-inch horizontal crack on the outside of his injured hoof. Purcell explained that a cut on the coronary band probably disrupted the hoof growth in that area for a short time. She told us to keep an eye on the crack, but she suspected it would grow out of his hoof without causing any real troubles.

Cloud was still slightly “off,” but Purcell suggested I start light riding so he could stretch and strengthen his sore muscles. That Saturday and Sunday, I got on Cloud bareback and ambled quietly around the ring. On Monday, I trotted him under saddle, and he was sound.

We still had a few anxious weeks ahead of us, waiting for the dreaded sequestrum to appear, but Cloud continued to stay sound. Our farrier kept a close eye on the hoof crack, but it required no special treatment as it progressed down his hoof over the
following months.

Three years later, the only tangible reminder of that terrifying day is a single, very small scar midway down Cloud’s back leg. But we cannot forget what could have happened: If Cloud had slipped and fallen while trapped, his leg could have snapped, or he could have dislocated joints, torn ligaments or stripped flesh down to the bone.

We were very lucky, and for that we remain grateful.

Why did Cloud attack Britches? We’ll never know. But one thing is for sure: I’ll never again make the mistake of putting two horses in the same stall, no matter how friendly they are.

This article first appeared in EQUUS issue #427.

Recently, a friend told me she was having trouble finding a trainer to start her 9-year-old horse under saddle. One refused to take on the horse without giving any reason, then another told her that horses were no longer trainable after they turned 9. This surprised us both: Neither of us considers a 9-year-old horse to be “old.”

I am well aware of the prejudice against training older horses who’ve never been ridden or those still considered “green.” However, as founder and president of Bluebonnet Equine Humane Society in Waco, Texas, I have had the opportunity to work with such horses, and I can assure you that there’s no particular age at which it’s too late to start a horse. They’re all individuals---some young horses can be quite a handful, while some older ones settle right into their new jobs.

In fact, I’ve found that most older horses are more than capable of learning new skills or unlearning bad habits. Plus, they offer some important advantages that younger horses do not:

• Unless they were abused or totally neglected, older horses---even the untrained ones---often have a “been there, done that” attitude that enables them to stay calm in new situations. They’ve seen more of the world than younger horses have, and this, in many cases, allows your training to progress much more quickly.

• The personality of an older horse is already defined, so you know what you have to work with. However, this does mean that you need to carefully evaluate the personality of an older horse before committing to him, because he’s not likely to change. For
instance, work and experience may help eliminate spookiness, but an older horse who is more reactive and hotter than others will probably stay that way.

• Older horses have reached their full height, and any conformation problems will have shown up already. You won’t be left guessing what they’ll look like when they’re done maturing.

• The mental maturity of an older horse gives him a longer attention span. He’ll retain more from longer, more in-depth training sessions than a younger horse would.

• In most parts of the country you can probably acquire an untrained older horse for free or nearly nothing. Once you’ve invested your time in training, you may end up with a much nicer horse than you could normally afford.

Also remember that, thanks to improved nutrition and veterinary care, a horse in his late teens or 20s these days can still be in great physical shape. Riders who don’t mind putting in a little effort can often get a nice horse that they can enjoy for many years, for very little money.

Considering all of this, I would encourage anyone with time and training experience to take a chance on a slightly older horse, even if that horse has no or very limited experience under saddle. There are, however, a few things to keep in mind. First, make sure that your horse will be physically capable of participating in your chosen discipline (see “Health Check,” page 64). Then, consider whether you have the time, patience and experience you’ll need for the type of older horse you’re considering: There’s a huge difference between an older horse who has never been handled, one who has been handled badly, and one who has been handled well. Although I believe that any horse can be trained, some will take longer than others.

To help illustrate the challenges and rewards of working with older green horses, here are a few examples of some I’ve met who have gotten fresh starts later in life.

Jericho: Overcoming poor handling
Jericho was about 15 and still a stallion when he was discovered wandering back county roads. We can’t say for sure that he was abused, but it was clear that whatever handling he’d had wasn’t consistent. He had learned to get his way by pinning his ears and snapping. After he was gelded, his foster caretakers had to act as if he’d never been trained at all to relay a foundation of respect, working hard to establish good manners on the ground and to teach him that biting isn’t acceptable. Because he was so set in his ways, it took many, often trying, weeks to work through his bad habits. But once he was behaving better in hand,a trainer was able to begin preparing him for work under saddle. Jericho is ridable, and because of that it will be easier to find him a stable home, but he’s probably always going to be a handful, so he’ll need to be placed with experienced handlers.

The difficulty you’ll have training an older horse depends in large part on the handling he has previously received. Three types of handling in particular may increase the training challenge.

• Harsh discipline--immediate, forceful punishment for any misbehavior---may not necessarily be abusive, but it can produce a timid horse who is scared of making mistakes. He may be constantly waiting for you to come down hard on him, and it can take months of consistent, kind handling before he begins to trust you. This type of horse often benefits from a lot of handling on the ground before he’s started under saddle. You still need to discipline misbehavior, but you also need to give the horse a chance to do well and reward him promptly when he does the right thing.

• Inconsistent handling often results in a spoiled horse who doesn’t know how to behave. Although these horses were sometimes disciplined for poor behavior, at other times they were allowed to have their own way without consequences. These horses will try your patience with repeated attempts to test their limits. They benefit from consistent handling during groundwork to teach them that misbehavior is always disciplined but that good behavior is also rewarded.

• Abused horses are the hardest to train. Fortunately, outright abuse, where the horse has been repeatedly beaten or even tortured, is very rare. Some horses fight to save themselves in the face of abuse, and it can be hard to stop fighting. They’re the ones who become dangerous to handle: Their immediate first reaction to anything they don’t like is to kick, strike or bite. If you find yourself with a horse like this on your hands, seek professional help. It takes a lot of consistent and careful handling to help these horses overcome their past, and they can be dangerous until they learn to trust humans again. Occasionally, a horse like this has been so traumatized that he can never recover.

Other horses react to abuse by shutting down emotionally and not responding to anything. They simply stand and take whatever their abuser dishes out. One effective approach is to simply spend time near these horses without handling them, and then to work with them consistently on the ground. The length and degree of the abuse these horses endured will affect how long it takes them to begin trusting you.

Windy: An adorable blank slate
Windy, a pinto pony---probably about 10 years old---was halter broke when she arrived at our rescue, but it was clear that that was about the extent of her training. She was spoiled and pushy, and she had most likely always gotten away with her bad behavior because she was so cute and little.

Our trainer spent several sessions just teaching her ground manners, but once Windy got those down, her training went quickly. Because she had seen more of the world, she was quieter and more settled than a younger horse would have been, and she adapted quickly to work under saddle. It didn’t take many months before Windy was ready to be placed with a family, and today she’s being ridden, doted upon and loved by small children.

Mature horses with little or no prior handling can be a challenge and take quite a while to train. The tougher cases are the mustangs or other feral horses who have never seen people before. They need to be accustomed to human handling before you can begin any real training, and the longer a horse has lived on his own, the harder it will be to gentle him. His sense of self-preservation grows each year, and he is going to be likely to flee anything he deems scary.

That said, feral horses can be gentled at an older age, but I find that they often remain highly reactive for the rest of their lives, even if they’re successfully trained to ride. In the beginning, these horses are more likely to try to jump or run through a fence to get away from you. You need to keep them in an enclosure with a stout fence that’s at least six feet high and made of horse-safe panels attached to wooden posts, woven wire hung on posts, or strong boards.

Horses who have been kept around people, just never handled, can still be a challenge, but they’re far easier to train than truly feral ones. You don’t have to worry about introducing them to the sight of people before you can start working with them. However, it’s still a good idea to keep them confined to a smaller pen with six-foot fencing because they can be prone to trying to flee when you begin to put pressure on them.

Halter breaking is the first step with a horse like this before you proceed to other groundwork, and this can take much longer than it does with a younger horse. But once they’ve accepted a halter, their under-saddle training tends to advance pretty quickly.

One advantage of working with an older green horse is that you don’t have to worry about overcoming someone else’s training mistakes. He’s a blank slate, as it were, for you to make your mark on.

Hermes: Building on a solid foundation
Hermes was a neglect case. When we picked him up, the 13- to 15-year-old stallion was emaciated and needed time to recover his health, but it was obvious he had been well handled at one point in his life. He led, stood tied and knew how to longe. He behaved himself around other horses and respected his handler’s personal space. Once Hermes gained weight and was gelded, I started working with him. Because he had such a good foundation, his retraining went quickly. I taught him to carry a saddle and bridle in no time. He went to a trainer for a few weeks, and everyone who met him was amazed at his progress. But the training he had years before was so good, it only needed to be uncovered for him to excel. Hermes was quickly adopted by a family as a show horse for their daughters.

Older horses who have had positive prior experiences are the easiest ones to train, even if they haven’t been ridden or worked with in years. Since they haven’t been mishandled, there are no bad habits or associations to overcome. They’re used to people and know what to expect from them and are generally trusting. Chances are, they’re already used to the routines of domestic life: farrier visits, veterinary exams, being caught and haltered, etc.

As long as this type of horse is physically capable, you can begin working with them right away. These horses often progress quickly through the groundwork stages: learning (or relearning) to longe, carry a saddle and carry a bridle fairly quickly.
Many older horses who were handled well previously also take to a rider without much fuss. They are a delight to work with.

There is a potential pitfall to these easygoing older guys, however. They can lull you into a sense of complacency. You’ll never want to forget that this is still a green and inexperienced horse. He may still become frightened, confused or spook. It’s only fair to give him the same level of understanding when he makes a mistake that you’d give a 4-year-old. Similarly, it can be easy to push these horses too fast. Remember that’s he’s still learning skills, even if he seems to be picking them up very fast. Don’t cut corners or skip steps in his training or you may end up with a resistant, cranky horse despite his great foundation.

Ask your friends if they’d be interested in a 10-year-old green-broke horse and you’re likely to be met with a few suspiciously raised eyebrows. It’s a natural reaction to assume something must be very wrong with a horse who makes it so far in life without more than just basic training. But the harsh reality is many older horses weren’t lucky enough to have a complete or quality education in their younger years.

This doesn’t mean they can never be useful mounts. In fact, many turn out to be terrific. If you think you have the resources and patience to take on an older green horse, I’d encourage you to, creating your own success story to share.

This article first appeared in EQUUS issue #427.

Andrew Nicholson leads the way at Rolex Kentucky on Quimbo and stands second as well with Calico Joe after cross-country

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

Allie Knowles, queen for a day when she stood fourth as the highest-placed American after dressage, was back to earth this afternoon at the unlucky 13th obstacle, the sunken road complex. She was eliminated there after her Last Call said "no more" to the imposing combination.

But the king of eventers, defending champion William Fox-Pitt, also was toppled. Chilli Morning, first in the rankings after dressage, had a stop at the seventh fence, the HSBC Water Park. William turned around and headed to the stables, figuring there was no point in going all the way around the course at that point.

When I asked what happened with the stallion, the British star replied, "Who knows? There will be lots of time to reflect on it. Maybe he just over-jumped the fence before and shut down there. Whatever the reason, there was no point in carrying on--he’s 13 years old, and he’s not here for the experience. We’ll try again another day."

But all was not lost for William, who moved up from 10th to fourth on Seacookie (46.2 penalties) after putting in one of 10 double-clear trips logged during the day on Derek di Grazia's course.

William Fox-Pitt lost the lead on Chilli Morning but is fourth with Seacookie

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

Even if he jumps clean in tomorrow afternoon's show jumping, however, he just has to wait and watch to see what Andrew Nicholson does. Though Andrew is first on Quimbo (38 penalties) and second on Calico Joe (40.8), the New Zealander is not feeling any sense of comfort about retaining his spots at the time the ribbons are presented.

I asked him if there was some comfort to standing first and second.

"You can never have too much of a cushion in the show jumping,” he answered.

"I’ll make the most I can of my rounds today and worry about the show jumping tomorrow."

He and I had good eye contact, and I'm sure he knew that I knew the Spinning Rhombus story. That's a tough one to live down.

In 1992, when he and the New Zealand team were poised to take gold at the Barcelona Olympics, Andrew could have had seven rails down and still earned the top prize. But he and Spinning Rhombus had nine rails down; I've never seen anything like it. My jaw kept dropping with the poles as they toppled, one after another. Australia got the gold, and New Zealand had to settle for silver.

But on the plus side here, Quimbo is a good show jumper, though Calico Joe apparently is not quite up to that standard. So tomorrow should be very exciting.

The undercurrent, of course, is that if Andrew wins, he has a shot at the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing, for which only William is currently eligible; his finish here does not affect that. But if Andrew is in the running, Badminton--the last leg of the Triple--will be quite a donnybrook next week, I guarantee it. (If you want more detail about this, look at yesterday's postcard. Or Thursday's, for that matter.) And the mix will include Germany's Michael Jung, the world, Olympic and European champion. He could be the spoiler.

Buck Davidson is the highest-ranked American, in third place with Ballynoe Castle RM

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

Buck Davidson was the top American, making the climb from 10th after dressage to third on his old pal Reggie, whose formal name is Ballynoe Castle RM. He was one of 10 double-clears, a group that was a third of the field who finished cross-country.

This was a great moment for Buck in several ways. It eased the memory of Reggie's stop at the sunken road during the 2012 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games here, when Buck was part of the U.S. team.

"It’s a shame that his entire career has been plagued by that stop at the Sunken Road, because he’s such a great horse and everybody loves him," said Buck. "I just about gave up and stopped after he was so perfect through the sunken road--I was so happy."

And it was a nice bounce back from 2012, when he hurt his shoulder in a fall.

Buck and I talked about his feelings today.

Listen: Buck Davidson

Of course, his mood also was elevated by winning the Land Rover Best Ride of the Day for being the U.S. rider finishing closest to the optimum time of 11 minutes, 21 seconds to finish the course. He got free use for two years of a 2013 Range Rover. The award came for his trip on Mar de Amor, one of three horses he rode around today. Mar de Amor's time was 11:15. William actually hit 11:21 on the head, but since he isn't American, he wasn't eligible for the prize.

Will Faudree and Pawlow powered out of the Head of the Lake on their way to fifth place in the standings

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

The course seemed generally well-regarded, but I got an interesting insight on it from Mark Phillips, former coach of the U.S. eventing team.

Listen: Mark Phillips

Bruce Davidson, Buck's father, has ridden around Rolex more times than anyone else--though it seems his son is catching up with him quickly. I was interested in what he thought of the course.

Listen: Bruce Davidson

Happily, no one was seriously injured, though there were five rider falls, including Becky Holder, who was seventh after dressage. Ronald Zabala-Goetshel of Ecuador drew a laugh after he and Wise Equestrian Master Rose tumbled into the drink at the Head of the Lake, and the rider rose from the water to take a bow for the crowd.

I ran into Marilyn Little at lunchtime, when she was wearing a sling on her right arm to support a shoulder injury. I asked how it happened, and whether she would ride today. Here's what she said.

Listen: Marilyn Little

She did wind up starting on course, but had a fall from RF Demeter at the 17th fence, the Land Rover Hollow, ending her quest. Let's hope she'll take a rest and let the injury heal.

Several top riders followed William's cautionary lead by withdrawing their horses after a refusal, in order to save them for another day. Mary King, the winner in 2011 with Kings Temptress, came back on her second-place horse from that year, Fernhill Urco, to give try giving him equal time in the trophy department. But he looked tired coming into the Head of the Lake and ran out on the brush obstacle after jumping out of the water. Mary retired six fences later.

Boyd Martin had a refusal with Trading Aces six fences from the end of the 28-obstacle course and walked away.

The original field of 45 for dressage is now at 30, and I suspect it will be smaller still after tomorrow's horse inspection.

It should be great show jumping, Andrew and William, the fiercest of rivals personally and professionally, squaring off with so much at stake. I'll be there, and tell you all about it tomorrow evening in my final postcard from Rolex Kentucky. In the meantime, be sure to go to facebook.com/equisearch and facebook.com/practical horseman for more photos and videos.

Until then,

April 26, 2013 -- Allie Knowles was the highest-placed American after the second day of the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, finishing fourth on Last Call.

Wait a minute--Allie who? C'mon, confess: Did you ever hear of her?

Well now you have, and in a big way. She put in an astounding test for a Rolex first-timer with her charming 13-year-old Mecklenberg mare, who she has owned for seven years. Okay, her mark of 43.3 put her 10 penalty points behind the leader, William Fox-Pitt of Great Britain on Chilli Morning, but I was impressed.

Andrew Nicholson, second on Quimbo

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

Andrew Nicholson of New Zealand, 2012's number one-ranked eventer, was second on Quimbo (38) displacing himself into third on yesterday's leader, Calico Joe (40.8).

At the post-competition press conference, media chief Marty Bauman made a point of seating Allie between Andrew and William, the defending Rolex champ. My first thought was that he wanted to keep the men apart; Andrew got involved years ago with William's wife, Wiggy, with whom he now has two children. But that apparently is pretty much history. William is married to racing presenter Alice Plunkett, and the couple has three children.

It turns out, though, that Marty just wanted Allie to be able to say she was sitting between two of the greatest eventers, the world number one and a former number one. Of course, she was loving it. Who wouldn't want such handsome bookends?

So would you like to meet the 26-year-old, who trains with Buck Davidson and runs a farm in Paris (not France), about a half-hour from the Kentucky Horse Park?

Listen to our conversation from this afternoon.

Listen: Allie Knowles

Rolex is always exciting enough in a normal year, but a face-off between William and Andrew takes on extra importance because both are shooting for the $350,000 Rolex grand slam. And now you know the back story too, which has to heighten the tension.

Because Badminton was canceled last year due to rain, William can win the award if he takes Badminton 2013. And Andrew, who won Burghley last September, has a shot if he wins here and then goes on to try for victory at Badminton. It is, to say the least, an unusual situation.

And this seems like the right place to insert the big news today, word that show jumpers are getting their own Rolex Grand Slam. This one is for a prize of $1 million Euros. It involves three shows: Spruce Meadows in Canada; Geneva, Switzerland and Aachen. I've heard, however, that it might expand to include five shows, maybe one of which could be in the U.S. Rolex has been generous to the sport, and they have shown time and again they're always open to further innovation.

Great Britain’s William Fox-Pitt is in the lead at Rolex Kentucky, winning the dressage phase on Chilli Morning

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

So, back to dressage. Chilli Morning is a chestnut stallion whose red coat and white stockings make him a real "look at me" standout even before you begin to assess his talent.

"He's got a great presence, and therefore, when you're riding him, you feel you're capturing the ground jury's attention," said William, who also praised his temperament.

"He's a very well-schooled horse and holds himself well. He's very uphill and very light; he paints a good picture throughout the test."

Quimbo, a black gelding who is another eye-catcher, was very much engaged, both with his rider and in his frame.

"I think he pretty much gave 100 percent," concluded Andrew.

Following his triumphant dressage test, William Fox-Pitt was surrounded by young fans, one of whom got to try on his top hat

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

"I mucked up my last (flying) change at the end, which is my fault, I was trying to press for more marks," he said, noting he was looking at the large scoreboard looming over the arena as he rode.

"I was going to have to squeeze the maximum out of him to catch William and I got carried away by the end of it," admitted Andrew, who rode next-to-last.

Allie, too, had trouble with her final change, which made her mare a bit tense. She handled it though, and strikes me as someone who is a cool customer.

Mary King, the Rolex winner two years ago, was aboard Fernhill Urco, the runner-up to her Kings Temptress in 2011. She is equal fifth with 43.7 penalties. As always, she gave her fans a big wave and a huge smile as she left the ring. She's one of the sport's great personalities. Tied with her is Marilyn Little on the extremely fit-looking RF Demeter. Marilyn had a separated shoulder, but do you think that would stop her from riding? Never.

Jennie Brannigan's ride Cambalda, who got scraped up yesterday after falling when he ran off while he was being longed, got a day's reprieve and permission to start today. But the horse wasn't right and Jennie bowed out. She has such big setbacks; Jennie lost her good horse a few years ago, and in 2012, she was hobbling around on crutches after hurting her knee. Let's hope her luck changes from now on. But it just goes to show that getting to the Kentucky Horse Park for Rolex doesn't mean you're home free.

Jimmy Wofford was recalling how a number of years ago, Jil Walton's horse stepped on a rock between the warm-up and dressage ring, and that was it for her shot at the event that year.

Rolex competitors always have lots of supporters. It's great to see the number of folks who crowd in at the "kiss and cry" stand beside the ring to watch "their" participant. These are not always relatives, trainers and grooms. Sometimes the connection between those who come to Rolex to root involves the horse.

I spoke with Dr. Tom Meagher, a veterinarian from Ireland, who owns the stallion Ricardo Z. He is the sire of Ballylaffin Bracken, the ride of Kristin Schmolze, who stands equal 17th on 53.7 penalties. It is the first Rolex both for the gelding, known as Rox, and Dr. Tom. We chatted about his involvement with Rox and his thoughts about Rolex on his first visit here.

Listen: Dr. Tom Meagher

Tomorrow is the day we've been waiting for, when we see 45 horses tested against Derek di Grazia's big cross-country course. Unfortunately, it looks like we're going to have some rain, which complicates an already challenging situation.

I'll be back tomorrow night with another postcard to tell you all about it. And don't forget to check facebook.com/practicalhorseman and facebook.com/equisearch for more photos and videos.

Until then,

Deworming is one of the basic elements of good horsekeeping. It should be a worry-free, routine practice that takes place several times a year.

Is your horse difficult to deworm? If so, he may have had a bad experience being dewormed or doesn’t like the taste of the dewormer.

Top trainer/clinician Clinton Anderson explains that most deworming issues aren’t the horse’s fault; it’s the owners’ approach to the process.

“Avoid sneaking up to your horse and jamming the dewormer in your horse’s mouth,” Anderson says. “Also, don’t walk straight up to your horse, hang on to the halter really tight, then jam the syringe in his mouth. You’ll make him defensive.

“Keep in mind that horses are prey animals,” he explains. “If you approach him and stick the dewormer in his face, like a predator, then he’s going to stick it back in your face and say, ‘Get lost!’

“On the other hand, if you walk up to your horse and kind of act casual about it, pretty soon, you’ll notice that a lot of his defensiveness will go away and he won’t be worried about getting dewormed.”

A horse that’s good to deworm will stand still with his head down, body relaxed, and ready to accept the deworming procedure, because he realizes that you’re not trying to hurt him. Here’s a step-by-step technique to deworming the right way.

Step 1: Desensitize the Airspace

Use the dewormer to desensitize the airspace around your horse’s head. If he won’t accept the dewormer in the airspace around him, then he won’t accept the dewormer in his mouth. Desensitizing works, because you’re doing the opposite of what he expects you to do — that is, he expects you to deworm him, but you won’t in this step.

Stand on your horse’s left side, so you’re out of his way if he tosses his head or strikes at you. Wave an empty deworming syringe back and forth around his entire head and muzzle, keeping it eight inches away from his muzzle.

When your horse keeps his head still, immediately stop waving, retreat, and rub his head with your other hand. Repeat this step until he keeps his head still for the entire time that you’re moving the dewormer.

“If he isn’t relaxed at this point, don’t go to the next step.” says Anderson. “Your horse must be relaxed for this to work.”

Step 2: Desensitize to the Syringe

Next, desensitize your horse to the touch of the deworming syringe.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DOWNUNDER HORSEMANSHIP

Desensitize your horse to the touch of the deworming syringe. You want him to understand that he can be touched by the dewormer without actually getting dewormed.

Starting at your horse’s withers, rub an empty deworming syringe all over his body. Work back toward his withers, and onto his neck and jaw. If he throws his head or moves away from you, continue rubbing until he stands still and relaxes, then retreat.

Rub the deworming syringe all over your horse’s face, continuing to use the approach-and-retreat method. As he becomes desensitized, gradually rub the dewormer down and around his muzzle.

“When you rub the dewormer around your horse’s nose and face, don’t rub it real slow like you’re sneaking around him hoping that he’ll stand still,” says Anderson. “Instead, rub vigorously. He’ll think, Man, you’re an idiot, you don’t even know where my mouth is.”

When your horse relaxes, and keeps his head and feet still, retreat the dewormer, and rub his head with your other hand.

“You’re trying to establish a starting point,” says Anderson. “You want him to realize that the quickest way to get rid of the dewormer is for him to stop moving his feet, and to relax his head and neck.

“When he does so, take the dewormer away from him, and rub his face with your other hand. Keep doing this until you can rub the dewormer all over him, and he doesn’t move.”

Step 3: Coat the Syringe

Repeat Step 2, then coat an empty deworming syringe with something sweet, such as honey, molasses, or sugar. This sweet coating will help teach your horse to accept the deworming syringe in his mouth — it’ll help him disassociate the bad taste of dewormer with the deworming process. (Give your horse a taste for the sweet coating by putting a little of it on his feed every night.)

Stand on your horse’s left side, and ease the dewormer into the corner of his mouth. Keep the dewormer in his mouth; if he throws his head, raise your arms. If he steps backward, move back with him.

As soon as your horse stands still, lowers his head, and relaxes, remove the syringe and rub his face with your other hand.

Patiently repeat this step until your horse stands still.

Step 4: ‘Deworm’ with Honey

‘Deworming’ your horse with honey makes him think that whatever is in a deworming syringe tastes good.

Fill the empty dewormer with honey, then wave and rub the syringe around his nose to ensure that he’s desensitized to it. Then place the honey ‘dewormer’ in the corner of his mouth, and slowly ‘deworm’ him by letting him lick the honey off the syringe.

Repeat this step over the course of several days.

Step 5: Deworm Your Horse

When your horse accepts the deworming syringe in his mouth, you can actually deworm him. Repeat Steps 1 through 4 until he shows no defensiveness towards the dewormer. Then get a real dewormer, and put a sweet coating on the outside of the syringe. Put the dewormer in the corner of his mouth, and empty the syringe. Wait for him to digest the dewormer, and immediately follow up with a honey dewormer.

“Always leave your horse with a positive taste in his mouth,” says Anderson. “If you just give the bad-tasting dewormer and walk away, the last thing he remembers is a foul taste.”

Step 6: Follow Up

Over the next three or four days, ‘deworm’ your horse with honey to remind him that deworming doesn’t have to be a horrible experience. Be sure to desensitize him by waving and rubbing the syringe around his nose before putting the honey dewormer in his mouth.

Step 7: Repeat the Process

Deworm your horse with honey once a day for four days before the next scheduled deworming. Follow up by ‘deworming’ him with honey once a day for four days after the deworming. You’ll then leave him with a positive deworming experience. In time, you should be able to just walk up, deworm your horse, and walk away.

Clinton Anderson grew up in Queensland, Australia, learning to ride as a teenager and training with many of his country’s top horsemen. In 1997, he relocated to the United States to perfect his Downunder Horsemanship program. Under Anderson’s guidance, horses learn to respect and respond to their handlers, developing willing partnerships. To learn more about Downunder Horsemanship, Clinton Anderson Walkabout Tours, and more, visit www.downunderhorsemanship.com.

Welcoming a new member to the Fox-Pitt family
The big excitement at the end of October last year was definitely the arrival of Chloe Rose into the family! Luckily she waited to appear before I got back from Pau, so her timing was perfect. She’s now six month’s old and it’s like she’s always been here--she gets on really well with her two older brothers, and parents for that matter--we’ve been very lucky, she’s a good girl!

Taking a break over the winter months
The break I had between November and January was fairly baby focused! Normally at that time of year we would have a holiday, Alice and I, but this year that wasn’t really going to be possible. That said I did go to Adelaide for the 4* event over there. I was originally going to take a horse to the show, but by the time that had become impossible to do due to horse quarantines, I was already committed to going, so I went to Australia for 10 days, which was highly enjoyable--there was very hot nice weather, and it was good to experience a different side of the world.

Apart from that we’ve just been around the UK enjoying a quieter time over the winter. The horses had a holiday, grooms had a holiday, we had a holiday, and although we didn’t get away we were by no means working hard.

Feelings around the Fox-Pitt camp at the start of 2013
The feeling around the team is good. After the Olympics I felt that this year may be a bit of an anti-climax for everyone as it was such a big focus throughout last season, but actually this year has got me really excited due to our horses’ prospects. I had a few that missed 2012 because of injury that have now come back into work which is great, so for the season ahead I have lots of exceptional horses to concentrate on.

New horses and resolutions in 2013
I’ve got a new top horse called Running Order who came from America, and I’m very excited about him. He’s produced by Doug Payne and is at the 4* level, he rode in the Rolex Kentucky last year, and although it’s early days he’s a super horse. Cool Mountain is also back having been injured last year, which was a shame as he missed out on the Olympics. I’m hoping he will be back up to top form very soon.
I don’t have any big New Year’s resolutions, although the main promise to myself was not to get too carried away by all of the Rolex Grand Slam hype. It’s going to be very important for me to treat Badminton like any other three day event, and to just focus on getting the horses and myself there in the best possible condition to perform at our best.

Start of the spring season
The spring season has started well, we did have quite a frustrating start with cancellations at two or three events thanks to the weather, but since then its dried up well and I’ve had some good competitions with the horses, including Burnham Market and Weston Park, where the horses have run well and felt good. Results aren't always my focus at the one day events but they are always good training for the three-days.

Plans leading up to Kentucky and Badminton
I’m competing in Belton before Kentucky, but I won’t be there on the last day as Chloe is being christened. Apart from that, there are a couple of smaller events, but the horses will leave for America a few weeks before the event which doesn’t allow for any more.

Sea Cookie and Chilli Morning are on their way to Kentucky

and I’m taking Parklane Hawk and Oslo to Badminton.

The Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing
It’s been very much business as usual for me in the lead up to Badminton, but there has been some perennial hype surrounding Badminton and this year the Rolex Grand Slam too. The build-up is always exciting, and this season has been fantastic with lots of media interest and various interviews. It’s important for me to realize though that winning at Badminton is a very long shot, as this year looks very competitive thanks largely to a high international contingent, including Michael Jung among others. Then again, if I do my bit, with the horses on good form, it’s by no means a foregone conclusion.

I don’t think whether Andrew Nicholson is in contention for the Rolex Grand Slam or not makes much difference to me. I have to win Badminton either way if I am to claim the Grand Slam, which means beating him. However it would obviously make things highly exciting, and create another edge to the competition, which everyone would love, but I think it won’t make that much difference at the end of the day.

The season so far has gone to plan and things are going well--the horses have found themselves in good form, I’ve been lucky to get the calculations right in terms of runs with horses, but then again sometimes when you have a terrible build up you are better on the day; I’m not thinking like that though obviously!

William Fox-Pitt is the current live contender for the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing prize.