October 2011 Issue 2

2 October 2011 Issue 2

Deer Creek Stables

October 2011 Issue 2

When I was a kid my mom would move the living room furniture around about every six months. My father always hated the new arrangement, until he got used to it. About the time that he would get used to the new arrangement she would rearrange it again and so it would go. One might observe a bit of irony in this walk down memory lane. The old furniture arrangement dad was upset about losing was the same arrangement that he had hated six months previous!

What is so bad about change? Change can be uncomfortable. It takes getting used to new people, concepts, routines, and ideas. Many times changes are welcome; think about a raise in income or a new car.

Some people like a change, but many dread it. New saddles take awhile to break in, new half chaps are tight and new boots pinch until they become old and comfortable, which is right before they wear out.

In many ways, change is a healthy and productive experience. Progress rarely comes without change. If you ride your horse exactly the same way every day and never introduce a bigger fence or a lateral movement, do you or your horse progress? Of course not!

Change

Change

Inside….

What’s in a Whinny?

1

2

4

5 YWLA Partners with DCS

Rider Exercises/Training Tips

Horse-O-Ween is coming! 6

Cont. on page 3

3 October 2011 Issue 2

Horses are afraid of 2 things: 1. Things that move. 2. Things that don ’t move.

A new study finds a world of information in the whinny of a horse. Martine Hausberger, PhD, director of the Laboratory of Animal and Human Ethology, a branch of the French national research center (CNRS) and of the University of Rennes 1, in the first study of it’s kind reports that through their whinnies, horses convey specific information about their identities, including sex, height, and weight, according to French researchers. Acoustic analyses of whinnies and the reactions of horses to various recorded whinnies also suggest that the vocal calls play an important social role and appear to be unique to each horse. This is the first study of its kind in horses, which are historically considered to be dependent on sight as opposed to hearing for their social communication, the researchers reported. "Our laboratory focuses on the link between social bonds and auditory communication in various species, including birds, dolphins, and monkeys," said "We realized there were practically no scientific publications on vocal communication among horses, despite the interesting social structure of these animals. We felt compelled to look into this, and what we found was that the whinny is a complex call full of relevant social information. It might even be a signature call for

each individual." Characterized as a three-part call, with an introduction, climax, and end, the whinny varies in frequency according to sex, the study reported. Stallions have low-pitched frequencies whereas mare and gelding calls are higher. Interestingly, the two intact stallions of their study, which were subordinate to other stallions in their social group, also had high-frequency calls similar to that of mares, Hausberger’s team reported. All 30 horses in the study were either privately owned or belonged to a riding club. Whinny recordings of some of the study horses were played back on an iPod to isolated study horses to observe their reactions. The listeners were clearly able to recognize the social category of the caller, whether it was a horse they knew well, knew from a distance, or didn’t know at all, the researchers said. The physical reactions of the horses were very sound-specific, varying significantly in terms of attention and attraction.

2011 Pan American Dressage Team Announced

The following horse-and-rider combinations will represent the United States, in order of rank: 1. Steffen Peters and Weltino’s Magic. Weltino’s Magic is a 9-year-old Westphalian gelding 2. Heather Blitz and Paragon. Paragon is an 8-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding 3. Cesar Parra and Grandioso. Grandioso is a 10-year-old Westphalian gelding 4. Marissa Festerling and Big Tyme. Big Tyme is a 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood gelding Alternate horse-and-rider combinations, in order of rank: 1. Endel Ots on Toscano. 2. Shawna Harding on Rigo. 3. Heather Mason on Warsteiner 4. Lisa Wilcox on Pikko del Cerro HU. The Pan American Games will take place in Guadalajara, Mexico, and will run Oct. 14-30. For more information on the Pan American Games, visit their website. The Chronicle of the Horse

What’s in a Whinny? New Study finds detailed information in a horse whinny.

Contributed by Sir Wimbledon

Cont. on page 6

4 October 2011 Issue 2

USEF Names Pan American Games Eventing Team The following horse/rider combinations have been named to represent the United States in Guadalajara, Mexico, Oct. 14-30:

• Hannah Sue Burnett, The Plains, Va., and Jacqueline Mars' Harbour Pilot, an 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding

• Buck Davidson, Ocala, Fla., and Sharon Will's Absolute Liberty, an 8-year-old Thoroughbred-Oldenburg mare

• Jonathan Holling, Ocala, Fla., and Constance Holling's Downtown Harrison, a 7-year-old Trakehner-Thoroughbred gelding

• Shannon Lilley, Gilroy, Calif., and The Lilley Group's Ballingowan Pizzaz, a 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding

• Michael Pollard, Dalton, Ga., and Nathalie Pollard's Schoensgreen Hanni, an 8-year-old German Sport Horse mare

This same concept holds true for managing a productive equine business in a very tough economy. Change is good, uncomfortable, important and inevitable in order to maintain and progress. Some changes that we experience are small, like streamlining lessons via the Internet and some are big, such as the new arenas that are currently in progress. Some changes are immediately enjoyable and some changes take a bit of getting used to.

Deer Creek Stables is committed to you and your horse. We are working to provide quality horse care and client satisfaction. Please know that we value you and appreciate your business and support in our efforts to maintain forward progress.

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. ~ George Bernard Shaw

You know you are a horse person when…..someone does something nice for you and you pat them on the neck and say 'good boy ' .

Cont. from page 1

5 October 2011 Issue 2

USEA Announces The Launch Of The New USEA Online Services Site Beginning October 1, 2011

The USEA has been working on a system to design an online services site that will provide a location for all USEA members to perform a variety of functions. Beginning on October 1, USEA members will have a chance to begin using the new USEA online services website. Functions of the new site will include: the ability to join or renew your 2012 USEA membership, registration for the 2011 Annual Meeting and Convention, horse and rider profile search, and entering events using Xentry.

Rider Fitness: Groundwork Core Exercises By Patrice Bucciarelli Photos By Lesley Ward

Most riders would be surprised to get Linda Denniston’s take on what keeps them in the saddle. “Your legs are not what keep you on the horse,” she says. “It’s your upper body that’s going to fall; not your legs. Without a strong core, you can’t balance your body.” And even though most people think of crunches, they’re not the only way to build up abdominals and other muscles

The Woodchopper One of Denniston’s recommended exercises, “the woodchopper,” works the abs and obliques, and has a cardio benefit, too. Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees soft. Hold a medicine ball or light dumbbell with both hands above your right shoulder. Then with your arms extended in front of your torso, pull the ball or weight across your body until you reach a point just outside of your left hip. Reverse the movement along the same path until you reach the starting position above the right shoulder. Complete 15 repetitions, then switch sides.

The Plank When it comes to cultivating core strength, McAllister calls for “the plank.” Lie face down on the floor and support your weight on your forearms. Slowly lift your torso and legs off the ground until only your forearms and the balls of your feet touch the floor. Keep your back straight and squeeze your abs. Hold the position for 15 to 30 seconds, then relax. Do eight to 12 repetitions.

Cat Up/Down Equestrian Pilates co-founder Elizabeth Hanson says core muscles mean more than abs. Muscles that support the spine need work, too. So she recommends the “cat up/down” exercise to stretch and relax lower back muscles.

Get down on all fours with your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders with a neutral spine. Inhale through your nose, then exhale and engage the core abdominal muscles. Round your spine upward and lower your head to your chest, keeping your shoulders down. Inhale as you arch in the other direction — head up, chest up and tailbone up. Repeat seven more times.

Fall i s here….

6 October 2011 Issue 2

Young Woman’s Leadership Academy

Partners with DCS

If you have been at the barn on Wednesday afternoons in the last month you may have noticed some new faces. Young Woman’s Leadership Academy (YWLA) is partnering with DCS to provide an Equestrian Enrichment Program as an after school activity. DCS is very excited to be hosting this exceptional charter school. YWLA is Fort Worth ISD’s first single-gender school. It opened its doors in August 2010 to 75 sixth-graders and 75 seventh-graders. The (YWLA) offers girls a learning experience that encourages critical thinking, inspires confidence and nurtures both the intellectual and social development necessary to be successful in college, career and life. The program will run for 15 weeks each semester and have a total of 12 participants, with their ages ranging from 12 - 14 yrs. The program will not simply be basic riding lessons. The participants will also learn about different aspects of the horse, horse care, and history. In addition the students will be introduced to different career paths involving our equine partners. The Program The participants are split up into 3 groups of 4. Each session will include grooming and tacking the horse up, have:

• A riding component • Ground stations of activities/exercises

geared towards improvement of the riders balance, fitness and posture/position

• A verbal teaching component.

Handouts related to horse anatomy and history are provided. Other subjects are covered as well, such as our relationship with the equine, parts of tack etc. Students will be introduced to equine related careers such as veterinary care, equine message therapy, acupuncture, and the art/science of shoeing and barn management. We have professionals in these areas lined up to present information on these subjects.

This has been a wonderful experience all around

for Deer Creek Stables. It is not a lucrative moneymaker, but it is wonderful exposure with an opportunity to share and teach kids about horses. It is a very positive feeling to see kids that are thrilled to just walk into a barn with horses. The smiles and joy the kids they wear are a reward in it self.

Finding an Opportunity

The opportunity to partner with YWLA presented itself by accident. Harli was to looking for high school options for Nicole. Through friends she discovered YLWA. In perusing their website (http://schools.fwisd.org/ywla) for extra-curricular activities, she discovered that one of YWLA’s sister school in San Antonio has a riding program. Harli and Jennifer visited the school in San Antonio. The school administration was very receptive to the idea and DCS put together a proposal. The proposal stressed confidence building, exposure to equine history, care, careers and management. Physical activity and of course, learning to ride were included in the program benefits.

Volunteering

Volunteers are always welcome. The jobs we need help with include working one-on-one with tack cleaning, tacking up horses, and leading an exercise activity. Since not everyone can be at the barn in the afternoon, we welcome ideas, learning modules, exercises, copies of handouts that you may feel are great for riders just starting out. If you can loan the barn your Yoga Exercise Balls, that would be terrific. Rachel and Sarah have been instrumental in helping. Drop in help from Keri, Nicole, Heather.....and all who have happened to be at the barn on Wednesdays and found time to pitch in.

This program has the potential to teach kids about our sport that might not have the opportunity to learn about eventing. It is also a great benefit for DCS as it gives us exposure and a good name in the community.

Horse-O-Ween!

Deer Creek Stables

Saturday, November 5, 2011

DCS will host the annual Halloween festivities a little late this year.

Saturday, November 5, 2011 will be the place to be be for:

Spooky Scavenger Hunt

Costume classes for horse and rider

Scary Pot Luck dinner

Don’t miss the fun! Prizes awarded for best stall decoration, and best costume.

Start times for the fun will be announced via email.

What’s in a Whinny? Continued from page 2 "Our results show that horses recognize the voices of their social partners even when they can’t see them, which explains their reactions when they are separated," Hausberger said. "If they’re still within hearing range (1 km / 0.6 mile) of each other, their reactions are going to be strong." The study, "Horse (Equus caballus) whinnies: a source of social information," was published in the September edition of Animal Cognition. The abstract is available online.