27W i n t e r ‘ 0 8

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E G Y P T ’ S O F F I C I A L E Q U E S T R I A N M A G A Z I N E

Inside this issue: Olympics • Arabian Horses • Polo • HistoryFree Copy

HRH PRINCESS HAYABINT AL HUSSEINHRH PRINCESS HAYABINT AL HUSSEIN

SHARES THE FEI’S THOUGHTS ON THE OLYMPICS &DEVELOPMENTS IN HORSE SPORTSHARES THE FEI’S THOUGHTS ON THE OLYMPICS &DEVELOPMENTS IN HORSE SPORT

HRH PRINCESS HAYABINT AL HUSSEIN

By Nada H. Abdelmoniem

2008 OLYMPICGAMES

METAMORPHOSIS OFTHE EQUESTRIAN SPORT

HORSE TIMESEXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH

In light of all the political,economical and

technological change, theonly aspect that would

eradicate attention is thepure pleasantness ofsports. In general, tofeast the eyes of the

young and the old witha win by a favouriteathlete of any sport

would be a truepleasure; just as theamount of pleasure

people enjoyed fromwatching the 2008

Beijing Olympics thatpresented a variety of

enjoyable, heart-touching,magnificent, and unexpected

achievements.

PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL EQUESTRIAN FEDERATION

THE EQUESTRIAN EVENTS, FIRST INCLUDED TO THE

OLYMPICS IN 1912 AND THE EVOLVEMENT AND

PROGRESS THEY HAVE BROUGHT OVER THE DECADES

BY AVID RIDERS ARE STILL ATTRACTING A SENSE OF

CONTINUITY AS WELL AS CONTROVERSY. FROM AN

UNEXPECTED GOLD MEDAL GOING TO CANADIAN ERIC

LAMAZE AND CONTROVERSIES REGARDING

ALLEGATIONS OF NUMEROUS DOPING CASES, TO THE

NICHE OF WHERE THE SPORT STANDS IN THE

UPCOMING 2012 LONDON OLYMPICS.

Horse Times Magazine had the honour ofconducting an exclusive interview with thePresident of the International EquestrianFederation HRH Princess Haya bint AlHussein in order to shed light andperception on where the sport stands andthe future of its development.

Your Royal Highness, from theperspective of you being aninternational rider and the Presidentof the FEI, what is your overview onthe 2008 equestrian events being heldin Hong Kong (facilities, stabling,organ isa t ion and grounds)?

As we anticipated, the equestrian eventsin Hong Kong were provided at thehighest possible level both in terms ofinfrastructure and personnel. Theequestrian events have never enjoyedbetter facilities at an Olympics, or at anyequestrian event, than they did in HongKong and the quality of competition wasundoubtedly a reflection of the venues inwhich our athletes performed. Thepartnership we enjoyed with BOCOG,the Equestrian Company and the HongKong Jockey Club was superb as wasthe tireless work of the officials in the 2years leading up to the games. Reallywe couldn't have asked for more.

What were your expectationsregarding the performance of the topinternational riders who participatedvs. the outcome and the results, asfor example Norway coming in 3rdplace as a team? And does thatillustrate the local planning and

management of the sport in onecountry vs. the other?

I think the great thing about the Gameswas the wonderful stories that lay behindso many of the medallists. To takeHeinrich Romeike, who won the individualand team gold in Eventing, it was soreassuring to me that in the 21st century,horse sport can still uphold the true idealsof amateur sport. Here was a man whois a practicing dentist, with only one horseand one that he owns himself. His wasan extraordinarily refreshing achievementthat showed that not only can amateursand professionals still compete side byside in equestrian but that they can winthe highest accolade in sport whetherthey are amateur or professional.

The Individual Jumping gold for EricLamaze of Canada was also anexceptional story of redemption throughsport. He has been through some verydifficult times in his life and has missedthe 2 previous editions of the OlympicGames because of disputes over use ofdrugs. He cried on the podium whenreceiving his medal and said those tearswere those of happiness and sadness. Inearly cried with him. This medal hasbrought him back to the internationalcircuit in a very significant way and he isnow 2nd on the Rolex Rankings (2ndbest in the world).

Team silver for Ian Millar of Canada, whoat the age of 61, was the oldest medallistof the entire Olympic Games. He has arecord number of 9 Olympic participationsand is already thinking of London 2012!

You asked about my thoughts on theJumping team bronze awarded toNorway. At the time this was really a greatmoment for Norway and if the case thatis still pending mars that performance,then that would be sad for the countryand sad for all of us.

Concerning Arab riders, what is youroverview on the level of theirperformances given that you are anArab rider yourself whom hascompeted formerly at the Olympics?Furthermore, what would yourthoughts be regarding LIVE TVcommentators stating the following?

“Karim Elzoghby won the silver medalduring the Pan Arab games which wereheld in Cairo, in 2007 but anyway, thereis not much competition there”.

“The Saudi’s have great horses and spendmillions of dollars on getting betterhorses, but at the end of the day, moneywill not buy them a win”.

I was so proud of the riders from all ofthe emerging nations but of course theperformances of the riders from the Arabworld have a special place in my heartand I am really pleased that I managedto watch all of them compete and hadthe chance to talk to many of them in the

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stands before and after their competitions.

I understand your concern about theremarks from the commentators and Ishare them but in the end it is theperformances that will have spoken forthemselves and I am certain that theseremarks will have been made before theriders started and before they saw howwell they rode! If the commentators didn'tsay anything afterwards then I can onlyassume that the qual i ty of theperformances took their breath away.

Do you think that some measures canbe taken to further upgrade thepossibility of Arab riders performingand achieving better?

I think the key is to provide athletes notonly with the opportunity to compete but

with the opportunity to compete atinternational levels and by doing so theywill be up against the leading athletesand horses in the world. It is throughthese experiences that our riders will gainnot only from the competitions and roundsthemselves but also from the opportunityto watch riders at that level. Certainly thatwas how I gained a huge amount ofexperience. Every time I went to aninternational show it was like attendinga Master Class and you could gain somuch by just watching in the warm upareas, talking to the riders, watching theirrounds, you can't gain those experiencesanywhere else. As President I see myrole very much as opening up theopportunities to international competitionfor athletes from emerging countries and

I hope that through this work I will be ableto help Arab athletes.

Regarding doping results, what is thestand of the FEI on that aside from thewithdrawal of medals, especially withthe negative impact this carries forthe sport?

As a Governing Body, it is our role toprovide an equal playing field for all. Interms of the process we only have onemission and that is to do what is right.There is no agenda, no under-currents,just an ultra transparent organisation.That is all. In order to achieve our goalsthough I think we need to work with thecurrent athletes and with the generationswho will follow them to be very clear aboutwhat it is we are working to achieve. We

HRH Princess Haya, who is an IOC Member, taking part in the Torch Relay at the Beijing Olympic Games

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need them to come with us on that journeyand in the end we must ensure thatathletes understand that they are thepeople responsible for the animals thatthey ride and that the welfare of the horseis the most important aspect of the sport.

On the topic of what has been heardabout the 2012 London Olympics notincluding equestrian sports, what doyou have in mind in terms of handlingthat issue? How can internationalmagazines, like Horse Times, help youachieve this cause?

The 2012 Games will include equestriansports but its up to the FEI family to shownot only the IOC but our own stakeholdershow committed we are to addressing the

issues. The important point is that we are

learning from the issues that surrounded

Hong Kong and the key difference

between now and the old FEI was that

they didn't learn the lessons. Now we

have an excellent volunteer body and

open minded athletes, supported by a

creative and flexible team in Lausanne

who are all driving forward with one goal,

which is to deliver the highest level of

sport for both our athletes and our

audiences in a context which sees the

welfare of the horse as paramount. HT

* Pictures courtesy of the FEI/HRH Library

The President with Olympic Course Designer Leopoldo Placios (L) and Captain John Roche (R), Director of the FEI's Jumping Department

HRH Princess Haya riding Come On,Frankfurt 1998

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KSA’SRAMZY AL DUHAMIAT THE 2008 OLYMPICS

KSA’SRAMZY AL DUHAMIAT THE 2008 OLYMPICS

THE VETERAN SHOW JUMPER OF THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA RAMZY

AL DUHAMI REPRESENTED HIS COUNTRY FOR THE 4TH CONSECUTIVE

OLYMPIC SHOW JUMPING GAMES WITH A GREAT RESULT OF FINISHING

22ND AT THE FINAL INDIVIDUAL ROUND OF THE 2008 BEIJING OLYMPICS.

THE VETERAN SHOW JUMPER OF THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA RAMZY

AL DUHAMI REPRESENTED HIS COUNTRY FOR THE 4TH CONSECUTIVE

OLYMPIC SHOW JUMPING GAMES WITH A GREAT RESULT OF FINISHING

22ND AT THE FINAL INDIVIDUAL ROUND OF THE 2008 BEIJING OLYMPICS.

By Nada H. AbdelmoniemBy Nada H. Abdelmoniem

Equestrian Achievements & Awards

2007 Pan Arab Games Egypt - goldmedallist, bronze medallist

2006 World Equestrian Games - Aachen

2004 Athens Olympics

2002 World Equestrian Games - Jerez

2003 Pan Arab Games Algeria - goldmedallist, bronze medallist

2000 Sydney Olympics

1999 Pan Arab Games Jordan - goldmedallist, bronze medallist

1997 Pan Arab Games Lebanon - goldmedallist, silver medallist

1996 Atlanta Olympics

1991 Asian Athlete of the year

1991 Amateur World Cup winner - California

1991 Pan Arab Games Syria - goldmedallist, silver medallist

What was it like for you when you arrivedin Hong Kong?

As it was my 4th Olympics I have to admitthat I was excited to be there with my teambut I certainly was not expecting to feel theexcitement I did when I reached the finals.Of course to be at the Olympics is a greathonour and so you can not but help be

proud of representing your country, and Iam sure this applies to all riders.

What is required for preparing for theOlympics?

I would have to say that the first element isand always will be the HORSE. Once thehorse is there you then devise a programmefor that particular horse and rider. You alsohave to take into consideration the differencebetween preparing as an individual or as ateam rider. Once you have your horse andprogramme you also have to think aboutyour horse's and the riders' fitness. Myadvice will always be to give your self atleast 2 years preparing for an event suchas the Olympics or the World EquestrianGames.

How long did it take for you to preparefor the Olympics and achieve the resultswhich you did?

Unfortunately in my case I only got thehorse ‘Allah Jabak’ 2 months prior to thegames due to my late selection as part ofthe team. This opportunity was only possiblewith the generosity of HRH Prince Abdullabin Miteb who was not only kind enough tolend me his horse but also tried to familiariseme with some of the horse's jumping habits.As you know people train for years withtheir horses before such a prestigious eventand so I was in a little bit of a disadvantage.However Prince Abdulla's support and myintense training with Olympic medallistStanny van Paesschen, I had the confidenceto go on and be part of Saudi Arabia's team.

On the same note, my results during theevent where achievable because of the fullsupport of all my team members and themoral support of the President of thefederation HRH Prince Nawaf bin Faisaland the Vice President of the federationPrince Abdulla bin Fahad. They were withme every step of the way and their wordsof encouragement were inspirational to allthe team.

What's missing between being aninternational rider residing and trainingin the Middle East and anotherinternational rider residing and trainingin Europe?

Of course Europeans have beenexperienced in this sport for much longerthan Middle Eastern riders, and so theirexperience and discipline is far moreadvanced than ours. Hence a rider residingin Europe will probably have moreopportunities in excelling his skills due tothe availability of different trainers, theabundance of horses as well as shows.However I think the sport is excelling insuch a grand level in the Middle East with

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During the 1996 Atlanta, 2000 Sydney, andthe 2004 Athens Olympics Ramzy competedas an individual and a team member,showing his best achievements so far duringthe Beijing games. Along with Ramzy, HRHPrince Abdulla bin Miteb Al Saoud, KamalBahamdan, and HRH Prince Faisal AlShalan, the team finished 13th and are yetto achieve better results in further Olympics.

Born January 5th 1972 in Riyadh, Ramzybegan riding at the age of 10 in his father'sfarm which eventually turned into a stable.Ramzy discovered his love for horses afterfirst jumping with one of his fathers Arabianhorses.

Ramzy’s past training & achievementsinclude:

Training

2006-2008 Stanny Van Paeschen Training& Equestrian Centre, Belgium

1998-2005 Nelson Pessoa Training &Equestrian Centre, Belgium

1994-1996 Paul Schockemöhle Training &Equestrian Centre, Germany

1990-1994 Berni Trures Training &Equestrian Centre, USA

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regards to the riders; we are not far behindin our ability to compete with Europeansand the rest of the world. Especially withthe constitution of the Arab League circuitwhich has helped in upping the level, notonly the rider's level but the eventsthemselves. This is evident with the AlMaktoum Challenge that started in theUnited Arab Emirates and was followed bythe shows in Qatar such as the GlobalChampions Tour. I think the levels of theseshows are of the highest standards, and itis this level of sport that will encourage ourriders to excel to top levels.

What are the greatest challenges youface?

As I rider I think the challenges we face arenever ending (smiling)! But it's a greatfeeling when you overcome any obstacle.For example in this sport the greatestchallenge is always finding suitable horsesfor each rider. There are many great ridersout there but as they say: “No Horse NoRider.” I also believe that the relationbetween each horse and rider is soimportant that it creates the winning formula.These days I find myself looking at youngerhorses; firstly because of the continuous

rising prices of horses in general andsecondly because of the joy that comesfrom building a relation with a younger horsewho will evolve into a grand prix showjumper. This is what makes all thechallenges and obstacles that one faceswell worth the effort.

How would you personally develop showjumping in the Middle East?

I'm a firm believer in good training for allriders in all aspects of riding. My contributionwould be in helping and developing thetraining of aspiring riders. I enjoy it and Ifeel I can learn from my students as wellas them learning from my experiences. Inthe future I would also like to be part oforganising show jumping events to developfurthermore the skills of our riders and thelevels of our events.

How did it feel to qualify for the IndividualRound?

Of course it was an honour and a privilegeto be included in the final individual roundespecially since I honestly did not think Iwas going to get that far. I can only say itwas because of the support that I had frommy team mates, the federation, our Chef

D'equipe, my groom, and the whole

management that was working with the

Saudi team.

Do you have special plans for London2012?

It's my love for horses and this sport that

keeps me going. I'm sure every rider feels

the same way, but I would love to have the

opportunity to represent my country again

in the London Olympics and before that the

World Equestrian Games in Kentucky. My

aim is to always be prepared as a rider or

as part of the team management. If I have

a horse you can be sure that I will be ready!

What can you tell us about the Sauditeam?

I think our performance and our success in

the past has shown our dedication and

admiration for this sport. We are a team of

brothers with the same goals to excel to the

highest standards. My generation of riders

and the new generation of young riders work

closely to keep our standard of riding rising

which is the formula to success. HT

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VIEW POINTVIEW POINT

On 8/8/2008 at 8.00 pm local time all eyeswere on China! China in return left nothingto chance; an impressive number of 2008drummers opened the 29th summerOlympiad in Beijing's newly built mainstadium that is nicknamed bird's nest dueto its particular architectural structure. Theworld witnessed a spectacular openingceremony that gave an overview ofChina's more than 3,500 year old historyup to today leaving the audience with nodoubt that China, with its 1.3 billion peopleis a world power. The closing ceremonywas equally stunning. During the OlympicFestival industrial productions werereduced in order to improve air qualityand dog's meat was struck from the

traditional Chinese menu cards to makeinternational guests feel as comfortableas possible. China has spared no effortto host the Olympics. Yet, these Olympicswill most likely be remembered as themost politicised games since the ColdWar; Chinese officials found themselvesconfronted with severe internationalcriticism regarding individual human rightsand freedom of press which even led toboycott threats especially from Westerncount r ies . Add i t iona l l y, a t thecommencement of the Olympics a newpolitical crisis arose; the world learnedthat a conflict has broken out in theCaucasus with Russian troops marchingtowards Georgia.

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ON THEBEIJING OLYMPICSBy Ina El Kobbia, Germany

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Isabell Werth on Satchmo showing disobedience during the Piaff

However, the admittedly stunningorganisation of these Games and theoutstanding performances of the athletesmade many put politics aside for amoment or two. Who will not rememberthe King of the Kings: American swimmerMichael Phelps: 8 starts, 8 wins, 8 goldmedals and 7 world records! Many calledhim supernatural and asked themselves:why don’t his muscles ever get tired??And yet another king captivated themasses; he did not run over the finishline, but instead jogged over it and dancedhis way from record to record, theunbelievable Jamaican sprinter UsainBolt! He left his competitors far behindwith a smile setting 3 world records andtaking 3 gold medals!

Remembering equestrian sport at theOlympics, true low points were Germany'sjumping riders! For the first time in agesGermany had to watch other nationsreceive gold, silver and bronze medals;the German team found itself far behindwith a disappointing 5th rank togetherwith the Dutch team; and as if that hadnot been enough, German jumping riderChristian Ahlmann was disqualified andhad to leave the Olympics earlier due todoping allegations concerning his Olympichorse ‘Coester’; he was not alone though,Brazilian rider Bernardo Alves, NorwegianTony André Hansen and Irish Denis Lynchalso faced doping allegations. It looks likeequestrian jumping sport is far from beinga “clean sport”! In contrast, a true highlightwas American jumping rider BeezieMadden, who took the individual bronzemedal and additionally together with herstrong team mates the team gold medal.Canadian Eric Lamaze was the bigsurprise of the equestrian Olympiad;known previously for his heavy drugconsumption, he proved his riding talentsby winning not less than an Olympicindividual gold medal in jumping edgingout Swedish renowned rider Ralf-GoranBengtsson!

A true highlight at least for Germany wasindisputably eventing; Germany won both,the team gold medal and the individualgold medal. Another highlight wasdressage; unbeaten until today theGerman dressage team took the goldmedal ahead of its permanent rivals fromthe Netherlands. Then there was the

dramatic Kur of the world's top dressagecouple German Isabell Werth and'Satchmo'; nobody thought that this wouldever happen, nobody understood whereit came from, but as if this outstandinghorse ‘Satchmo’ had enough of all thecompetitions and of his rider he showedduring the piaff clear and strong signs ofdisobedience, then continued the Kur,which consisted of highest degrees ofdifficulty, as if nothing had happened. Itwas a moment of shock for the rider whothereby had to give up hopes for anindividual gold medal, nevertheless Isabell& ‘Satchmo’ ended up with the silvermedal. Dutch Anky van Grunsven wasnext, she showed a good but notspectacular Kur and as regularly seenbefore her horse 'Salinero' did not show

the end-halt, yet the judges considered

the performance good enough for an

individual gold medal.

To conclude this viewpoint, I would like

to note that the 2008 Olympics were

bigger, higher and more spectacular than

its predecessors and most probably the

next Olympics to come will try to even top

these results! It is also probably fair to

say that the Olympic Movement, which

declares the intention to contribute to a

peaceful and better world by the means

of sport, remains an everlasting goal that

however far it seems is worth to carry on

from one Olympiad to the next; in that

sense I would like to say: “Goodbye Beijing

2008, hello London 2012.” HT

Michael Phelps

German Eventing team

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Usain Bolt

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Passion Horse & Equestrian Exhibitionthat took place in Syria in October, Fawazpainted the essence of the true Levantineculture during the 4 day exhibition.

Born April 8th 1967, Fawaz's passion forhorses started in 1993 after travelling fromIraq to the Royal Stables in Jordan simplyto feast his eyes on the horses. His workis bought by Kings & Presidents and isdisplayed in European and Arab countriessuch as France, Denmark, Malaysia, andthe Untied Arab Emirates just to name afew.

Fawaz resides in the United Arab Emiratesbut is constantly travelling with his paintingswhich are on high demand by internationalpublications, exhibitors and buyers. Hisupcoming works can be seen during theWorld Arabian Horse Championshipscheduled on December 12th 2008 inPorte de Versailles, France where he willbe painting a portrait during the 4 dayevent. HT

FAWAZ AYOUBHORSES & ART

By Nada H. Abdelmoniem

ARABIAN HORSES: PEACE& BEAUTY

International artist Fawaz Ayoub presentshis passion for Arabian horses in hispaintings that are displayed in many partsof the world; in portraits demonstrated inequestrian clubs, exhibitions, books andmagazine covers. His work is time-honoured in a way due to his belief thatfine art is about more than just imitatingwhat the eye sees; it is about what themind imagines. To him, Arabian horsesare simply an artistic creation.

Fawaz is always keen to present Arabculture in his paintings; during the Arabian

Fawaz AyoubP.O.Box: 90464, Dubai - UAE

Email:absarkef@hotmail.com

Mobile: +971507864911Fax: +97142735665

www.fawazart.4t.com

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AL ZAHRAASTUD

15TH NATIONAL SHOW& EGYPT’S 11TH INTERNATIONAL

CHAMPIONSHIPS

AL ZAHRAA IS A STATE-OWNED STUD FARM THAT IS DEDICATED

TO THE BREEDING AND PRESERVATION OF THE EGYPTIAN

ARABIAN HORSE IN EGYPT. HISTORICALLY AND TO THIS DATE

IT REMAINS THE BLOODLINE SOURCE FOR MANY

INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL BREEDING PROGRAMMES.

AL ZAHRAA AS WE KNOW IT TODAY HAS GONE THROUGH MANY

PHASES IN THE LAST 4 DECADES; IT TRACES BACK TO 1898

WHEN THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY WAS FORMED

AND LATER ESTABLISHED A DIVISION THAT WAS RESPONSIBLE

FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE EGYPTIAN ARABIAN WITHIN

EGYPT. THE SOCIETY WAS ORIGINALLY SUPPORTED

BY MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY WHO BRED AND ACQUIRED

SPECIAL BLOODLINES. IN 1952, THE ROYAL AGRICULTURAL

SOCIETY BECAME THE EGYPTIAN AGRICULTURAL

ORGANISATION (EAO) AND AL ZAHRAA WAS ESTABLISHED.

Dr. Nasr MareiInternational Breeder,

International Judge& Chairman of the Organising

Committee

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CAIRONOVEMBER13TH – 16TH 2008

THE 2008 11TH SHOWCOMPARED TO THE ONES INTHE PAST:

This is the first time that I receive theresponsibility of organising Al Zahraashow; it was a huge challenge and I wasrather reluctant at the beginning. Yet Ithought that by organising a good showI would prove several points one of whichthat all breeders can get along better asthis would add to the chances of theshow’s professionalism. Secondly I hada goal which was promoting the show tobecome more “international” and by thatI mean receiving more entries from outsideEgypt. It was almost possible to receive2 whole new entries from 2 differentcountries with each entering with 6 horses,but due to the equine flu in Egypt, theywere unable to make it. Those entrieswere the United Arab Emiratesrepresented by Al-Aryan Stud and Qatarrepresented by Al-Shaqab Stud. Luckilywe had entries from Saudi Arabiarepresented by Al Khalediah Stud. Thusmaking the show more international willhelp gain more exposure for Al Zahraaand its status would come to a betterstand amongst the shows in the Middle East.

For the first time in 2 showswe had 374 entries which wasnearly the double of any entriesin shows in the past; ourmaximum entries would be 150horses at the maximum. One ofthe signs of success is having agreat number entry. With myexperience as a judge, a showorganiser, and a breeder of course,breeders had more confidence inhaving more horses compete. It wasa blessing but it was still a bigresponsibility to manage 400 horsesplus 374 entries at Al Zahraa farm.That means that the total numberof horses in the stabling premisesnearly doubled in a few days time.

On the technical part I think theevent was very professionallyprepared under the support of theChairman of the DisciplinaryCommittee Barbara Pfistner, theChairman of the ECAHO ShowCommission Dr. Francesco Santoro,and the President of the ECAHO Mr.

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Willy Luder whom are the parties whichcan really give a solid assessment to thequality of the show. They testified to thatand mentioned that this was the bestshow conducted in Egypt. They also addedthat it can compare favourably with someof the important shows in Europe. Thebreeders testimony of the show was alsoas positive if not more.

THE RATE OF PROGRESS OFAL ZAHRAA:

In a nutshell if you take all state-ownedfarms all over the world, most of themwere either dispersed or do not have muchcontribution to the Arabian horseindustries. For example Marbach inGerrmany, Babolna of Hungary, and Terskin Russia. But on the other hand we have3 major state owned farms which havekept their names and rate of progressthrough their contributions and those arethe ones of Poland.

When it comes to Al Zahraa which hasgone through many phases in the last fewdecades, in my personal view I believethe quality of horses has become lessglamorous than it used to be. They dohave very good mares and their stallionsneed to be reviewed. Moreover, othergenetic tools are required to be used. Thegenetic pool of the Egyptian AgriculturalOrganisation (EAO) has become smallerdue the use of limited numbers traced tocertain bloodlines. It is difficult for a state-owned entity to undergo drastic changesbut if it were my farm I would probablyget rid of more than half of the 400 horsesthat are there. They all come from originalvaluable and irreplaceable pedigrees buttheir quality is very low. That would be themost logical step to take in order to reviveAl Zahraa. Having said so, there is a newmanagement now run by Mr. AhmedHamza; for the first time in the history ofAl Zahraa the Chairman is also a breeder.The Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Ameen

Abaza is very keen to improve the EAO

and Al Zahraa. It is a golden opportunity

to make the change needed.

Another factor that would help is that I

was appointed as the Head of the Board

of Trustees by the Ministry of Agriculture.

The task is to study the stud and present

a report of how Al Zahraa can be improved

in regards to management, finances and

breeding. The Board is already working

on this and I think there will be some good

changes. Do not expect results of these

changes once applied before a number

of years.

IN MY PERSONAL VIEWI BELIEVE THE QUALITY OFHORSES HAS BECOMELESS GLAMOROUS THANIT USED TO BE

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Kenz Noor & Imperial Baalanah

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THE EGYPTIAN ARABIANHORSE; WHERE IT STANDS,ITS RECOGNITION &ITS PROMOTION:

What is known internationally, the StraightEgyptian, is still maintaining its position.The EAO, Al Zahraa and Egypt will stillremain the source of all straight lines. Wewould like to enrich this and keep itsreputation since it is a national treasure.We have competition from other parts ofthe world so we have to be very pragmaticabout it. At one point in the 50’s and 60’s,Europe and America bought some of thebest horses in the EAO and they carriedon a very intelligent breeding programme.Today they may have better horses.However in the last 10 years we haveimproved and are able to competeinternationally and even prevail overinternational Egyptian Arabians and nonEgyptian. The dip came while the Egyptiansociety underwent a 20 year political,social and economical structural changewhile the rest of the world carried on. Weare regaining our positions as you have

witnessed in these 2 shows we hadattendees from Australia, America andItaly whom were really happy to see thatthere is a revival of the Egyptian horse.Four years ago we had 4 major breeders;today there are 280 breeders; this saysa lot. Egypt will still be the source.Implementing major changes, importinggenetic tools, and increasing the size ofour gene pool will bring progress.

THE COOPERATION LEVELSBETWEEN AL ZAHRAA &PRIVATE BREEDERS:

Al Zahraa is the official registry of Arabianhorses in Egypt so the relationship is veryclose. All private breeders bloodlines’trace back to Al Zahraa. Al Zahraa stillprovides horses to private breeders eitherby selling them or allowing its breedingstallions to the private breeder’s mares,so there is always good contact. They arenotified by breeders about the breedingsof their mares and inform them when thefoal is on the ground. Al Zahraa inspectsthe newly born, conducts DNA tests toverify parentage, and then brands the

horses. They have the official stud bookfor their own horses and for those ofprivate breeders. So really…we all add toeach other.

MR. FERDINANDSCHWESTERMANNInternational Breeder, President of thePyramid Society Europe & Al ZahraaNational Show Judge:

“The breeding programme in Egypt hashad a great revival and the quality of thehorses has increased over the years.

It was a pleasure to be invited to judgethe National shows; all the results havebeen fantastic. The horses are highlymaintained compared to what I have seenin past.

I have been coming to attend Al Zahraa showsfor many years and I have to say that this year’sorganisation has been put outstandingly by Dr.Nasr Marei, Mr. Ahmed Hamza and all thesponsors. It is just such a step forward for AlZahraa & the EAO and many compliments tothem…I am an organiser myself and Iunderstand what it takes.”

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Anessat Al Khalediah

DR. FRANCESCO SANTOROInternational Breeder, Chairman of theECAHO Show Commission & Al ZahraaNational Show Judge:

“I have been attending Al Zahraa for morethan 15 years; what I see this year iscompletely different and changed in allaspects; the organisation is veryprofessional and the quality of horses isvery much developed.

During the National show we judged manybeautiful horses and I was surprisedbecause several years ago the conditionsof horses were very poor. Now they arewell bred and well preserved.

Al Zahraa is a very big organisation andI would like to see them employ newbreeding programmes in the future. Havingsaid so, all I can say right now is simple:“look…look around you!” It has changedand it will continue on changing to thebetter.” HT

RESULTS

Senior Stallions Reserve ChampionSHAFE PSUEDE(PADRONS PSYCHE x FOCUSSHALIA)Breeder: U.S.AOwner: Al Khalediah Farm K.S.A.

Most Classical Head, MalesKENZ NOOR (ET)(IMPERIAL MADORI x NAKSH ELKOLOOB)Breeder: Noor Stud - EgyptOwner: Rabab Stud – Egypt

Most Classical Head, FemalesIMPERIAL BAALANAH(IMPERIAL BAAREZ x IMPERIALORRAPHA)Breeder: U.S.AOwner: Al Farida Stud – Egypt

Junior Fillies Reserve ChampionANESSAT AL KHALEDIAH(F SHAMAAL x FS PREMIRRA)Breeder: Al Khalediah Farm K.S.A.Owner: Al Khalediah Farm K.S.A.

Junior Fillies Champion

SHAMMAA AL KHALEDIAH(F SHAMAAL x WIEZA WIATROW)Breeder: Al Khalediah Farm K.S.A.Owner: Al Khalediah Farm K.S.A.

Senior Mares Reserve ChampionKHARELLE (DAKAR EL JAMAAL xKHEMOSELLE)Breeder: U.S.AOwner: Al Khalediah Farm K.S.A.

Senior Stallions ChampionF SHAMAAL(MAYOUN x SARAMEENA)Breeder: GermanyOwner: Al Khalediah Farm K.S.A.

Junior Colts ChampionEL PALACIO VO(AL LAHAB x EL DORADA)Breeder: U.S.AOwner: Al Khalediah Farm K.S.A.

Junior Colts Reserve ChampionJAREER AL KHALEDIAH(PADRONS IMMAGE x BARAH ALKHALEDIAH)Breeder: Al Khalediah Farm K.S.A.Owner: Al Khalediah Farm K.S.A.

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Shammaa Al Khalediah

Pictures courtesy of Ayman HammadCore Graphicsayman@coregraphic.netwww.coregraphic.net

TAG Heuer Timing racks up a new honour:

The highly-technological Chronoprinter 540 is approvedby the International Equestrian Federation!

La Chaux-de-Fonds - February, 2008: TAG Heuer is proud toannounce that the new and innovative Chronoprinter 540 hasbeen approved by the prestigious Federation EquestreInternationale ( FEI ).

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TAG Heuer has made profitable its extensive and unique timekeeping expertise in the most highly demanding sports, suchas, Show Jumping to develop the most accurate Timing installation. As ever, the TAG Heuer Timing division has respectedand surpassed the most stringent demands for accuracy.

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TAG Heuer, the leader in prestigious sports watches and chronographs since 1860, is currently the largest and fastestgrowing international luxury watch brand. The Swiss watchmaking legend draws upon its active engagement in the worldof sports to create the most accurate timing instruments and sports watches in the world. TAG Heuer today is the firstwatchmaker ever to master luxurious chronographs with an unsurpassed precision of 1/10th, 1/100th and 1/1000th of asecond. From the Olympic Games in the 1920’s to its role as official timekeeper to within 1/10,000th of a second for thelegendary Race of Champions, TAG Heuer, in a constant quest for innovation, excellence, performance and prestige,continues to aim ever higher, as reflected in its partnerships with Team Vodafone McLaren Mercedes in Formula 1 andits two aces: rookie sensation Lewis Hamilton, and Heikki Kovalainen. Powerfuly endorsed by 2007 world F1 championKim Raïkkonen and Scuderia Ferrari F1 driver , world number 1 golfer Tiger Woods, WTA star tennis player Maria Sharapova,NASCAR idol Jeff Gordon and Champcar four-time world champion Sébastien Bourdais ; as well as by Hollywood superstarsBrad Pitt and Uma Thurman and Bollywood icons Shah Rukh Khan and Priyanka Chopra, TAG Heuer more than everepitomizes Sport and Glamour!

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Under the patronage of the Syrian Ministryof Agriculture & Agrarian reform, theArabian Passion, Damascus InternationalHorse & Equestrian Exhibition kicked offwith the participation of 41 internationalexhibitors from 12 countries: Qatar, Egypt,the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, France,Italy, the Czech Republic, Argentina,Canada, Poland,Pakistan and last but notleast, the host Syria.

With the aim of shedding some light onsome of Syria's Arabian horse historyalong with its current equestrian industry,and to reveal the nobility created with theamazing Arabian horse, the exhibition

PASSIONARABIAN

was thought of as a national project thatwas solely built on plans that will beimplemented both strategically andvigilantly throughout the upcoming 4 years.The eventual aim of the project is to makeDamascus one of the most importantcities on the international equestrianscene.

With the diligent efforts of young bloodfrom Profair International Exhibition &Conference Organisers, as well as thefull support of Aldimashqeia Arabian HorseStud and the Syrian Arab HorseAssociation, the Arabian Passion projecthas been greatly systematised and

By Nada H. Abdelmoniem

DAMASCUS INTERNATIONAL

HORSE & EQUESTRIAN EXHIBITION

SYRIA 7 - 10 OCTOBER 2008

arranged to demonstrate the vision ofwhat Syria, land of Arabian Horses, canbring.

MAHMOUD MADKHANEH,A R A B I A N H O R S EBREEDER & FOUNDERO F A L D I M A S H Q E I AARABIAN HORSE STUD:What are your thoughts regarding theexhibition?

The fair has preceded lots of expectationsconsidering this is the first time Syria hostsan international equestrian exhibition; ithas been a good achievement. Bothvisitors and exhibitors have shownsatisfaction.

Most of the exhibitors are from theMiddle East, with a few from Europe;will you be inviting more exhibitorsfrom Europe and the Americas in the2009 project?

We are looking to make this exhibitionmore of a tradition rather than a businessperspective. We wish to hold it on annualbasis, and we wish to make it moreinternational of course. All countries arewelcome to join; it would especially be agood chance for many European countriesto get an idea about the Arabian horseindustry in Syria.

An Arabian horse auction wasundertaken in the final day of the fair;what are your thoughts in regards tothat?

The auction presented horses only fromSyria; furthermore, this was the first timefor some of the participating breeders to

Mahmoud Madkhaneh, Fawaz Ayoub & Sharif Al-Ferm

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undergo a horse auction. We expectedto sell out 50 horses, and only 9 weresold given the high prices the breedersbided for.

As the owner of Aldimashqeia Arabianhorse stud, what can you tell ourreaders about the Arabian horse inSyria?

Aldimashqeia Arabian horse stud is oneof the biggest studs in Syria; we haveboth beauty and race contests which areheld at the same time as contests in Dubaiand France for example. We need tochange dates and travel with our horsesto these shows in order to gain mileage.As for the Arabian horse from Syria inspecific, we have pure blood Arabianswhich have not been inbred and havebeen kept pure. I am one of the breederswho inbred and produced an excellentFrench Syrian Arabian WAHO horse. Ibelieve in continuing with trials until I reacha successful phase.

Do you breed Arabians for businessor for passion, or for both?

When I first thought of organising thisauction, I only thought it would addmileage to the breeders and expose themto what is new. I have around 200 horses,and hence Arabians are simply a passionto me. I grew up loving horses andhanging pictures of them all around myroom; I bought a pure Syrian horse 6years ago and started to inbreed.Thankfully, so far, Aldimashqeia studhorses have won many national prizes.On the same note, we as breeders arevery much supported f rom ourgovernment; all Arabian horse breedersare entitled to receive pellets at half price.If a breeder wishes to establish a stud,receiving a licence would be an easy

process. Thus, equestrian and Arabianhorse awareness and knowledge is nowpresent, support and willingness toenhance and innovate is also present.

S H A R I F A L F E R M ,

Managing Director of Profair

International Exhibition &

Conference Organisers:What are your comments in regardsto the exhibition?

I'd prefer calling it a national project nota show or an exhibition; we really wantto put Syria on the international equestrianscene. I am happy and satisfied with thisfirst project because we were able to invite41 exhibitors from 12 countries which is,in exhibition criteria, a good achievement.The visitors were more than what we haveexpected, and the visit of Mrs. Manal AlAssad, the honourary president of theSyrian Equestrian Federation, showedsignificance and support to the exhibitionand its organisers.

In terms of promotion, what wasrequired from Profair in order to reachequestrian industries?

It took us about 10 months of hard work;we are a team of about 8 individuals; 2partners, mysel f and MahmoudMadkhaneh, the owner of Damascene &Aldimashqeia Arabian Horse Stud. Wepersisted on presenting attractivebrochures, website designs, art designs,and marketing, along with wanting to bepresented in high class mediums such asHorse Times magazine, the Italianpublication Tutti Arabi, and the ArabianDream which is the magazine of theVenice show held on annual basis in June.We collected data of almost 4,000professional horse businesses from a9,000 worldwide database, and hencethis was an accomplishment to be ableto contact and stay in touch with all 4,000.F u r t h e r m o r e , w e a p p r o a c h e darabianessence.com which is aprofessional Italian website in which weadvertised for our show with a link to ourown website. We also used their mailinglist services so they helped in sendingour newsletter. In Syria we were able tocontact companies who are involved inthe equestrian industry, along with BasselAl Assad and Seif Al Sham clubs who wewere honoured to have as those are thetwo prestigious clubs in Syria with very

sophisticated and up to date facilities. Wealso got in touch with 2 similar exhibitionswhich was a good channel for promotion;one is the Verona Exhibition held everyNovember in Italy, the other is Al FaresExhibition which is held every 2 years inDubai and in Johannesburg. Ourcooperation levels with the exhibitions Ihave mentioned have helped in theparticipation of a numerous variety ofexhibitors from around the world.

Since you have shown positivethoughts about the exhibition, whatare the plans for the 2009 exhibition?

We are planning on holding the exhibitionon annual basis; we seek to make it anawaited sports, cultural, and trade event.We have even pushed our dates fromOctober 7th until October 16th as TheAbu Dhabi Hunting & EquestrianExhibition is held during the same time,and of course, we wish for many moreexhibitors to participate.

Having mentioned all this, are youwilling to invite exhibitors from outsidethe Middle East?

We do have agents in Germany and Italywho are helping to promote the eventthroughout Europe.

What are your comments regardingthe horse auction?

This was the first horse auction ever heldin Syria and we succeeded in presenting105 horses. However the organisation ofsuch an auction required the presence ofhighly organised and experienced partiesthus we invited the director of Al ZahraaStud from Egypt whom managed theauction; Al Zahraa is known to breed someof the best Egyptian Arabian horses inthe world which added to the credibilityof the auction. This was a good chancefor the Syrian breeders to evaluate theirhorses in a correct sense since there ismuch potential for excellent production.During the auction Syrian breeders wereable to acquire the know-how of how topresent their horses at a reasonable price.

What do think it would take for Syrianbreeders to reach the level ofinternational Arabian horse breeding?

It's quite difficult and we are going to need3 generations of breeding to reach thetop levels of producing Arabian horses;however our horses can compete inendurance. HT

Opening Ceremony

43

Board Member of the Egyptian Polo Federation & RegionAmbassador of the Federation of International Polo

“A HIDDEN EQUESTRIAN SPORT IN EGYPT, AND A FEASTTO THE EYES”

US POLOASSOCIATIONANNUALPOLO CUPBy Karim Loza

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The exuberant attacks of Ali El-Kashefled to 4 goals in the American team's net,yet at the final chucker coming to an endand the sun setting, the American teamcharged the field attempting to tie a veryclose score of 5-6; eventually the winwent to the Egyptian team.

Polo is a sport with long tradition in Egypt.Starting in the 12th century, the gamewas played by the Mamluke cavalry as aform of military exercise. More recently,from about 1890 to the late 60's, theGezira Sporting Club 3 large polo groundswere ranked as the best of their kind inthe world. The game was also widely

played in Alexandria at Semouha andSporting clubs as well as the ArmyCavalries. International teams havealways particularly enjoyed visiting Egyptas it offers the benefit of 2 playingseasons: in Cairo during the winter andin Alexandria during the summer…a luxuryrarely available in other parts of the worldat that time.

Egypt produced a number of talented poloplayers who played and won a numberof international tournaments: SeifallaPasha Yousri in the 1920's, 8 goalhandicap, was the Egyptian Ambassadorto the USA, won a number of tournamentsin the USA & Argentina, Victor Smeika inthe 1940's, 4 goal handicap, won anumber of tournaments in France & theUK, and Salah Foda in the 1950's playedin Italy. Alex Ebeid in the 1970's, 80's &90's, captained the 'Falcons Polo Team'and won 7 times the Coupe Do'r ofDeauville France, and twice the Queen'sCup in the UK. Alex still is a great supportfor the game although retired from the

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BENEATH THE LIGHTS OF A BEAUTIFUL ALEXANDRIAN OCTOBER

AFTERNOON, KING'S RANCH EQUESTRIAN CLUB HOSTED THE EGYPTIAN

POLO TEAM AND THE AMERICAN TINICUM POLO PARK TEAM WITH 8 RIDERS

FROM BOTH TEAMS MOUNTING THEIR POLO PONIES FOR A FRIENDLY MATCH

ON A VAST 300 YARD FIELD CONSTRUCTED TO INTERNATIONAL POLO FIELD

STANDARDS. SPONSORED BY THE US POLO ASSOCIATION & THEIR AGENT

QUATTRO TRADING & SERVICES, THE EGYPTIAN POLO FEDERATION HOSTED

THE 11TH POLO EVENT IN EGYPT.

high goal tournaments and currently playsat his farm in Gloucestershire, UK. FaroukYounes, from the 1970's to date, reached4 goal handicap, played in various partsof the world and won the Silver Cup inDeauville France, Gold Cup in SotograndeSpain, and the General Monte Cup inArgent ina. Farouk was RegionAmbassador of the Federation ofInternational Polo (FIP), TournamentDirector of the zone playoffs in India andPakistan, and Tournament Director forboth World Cups of France & Mexico in2004 & 2008. Farouk retired from the highgoal tournaments and plays at his farmin Abou Seir, Egypt, but still remains BoardMember of the FIP Executive Committeeand Chairman of the Egyptian PoloFederation.

The Egyptian Polo Federation wasestablished in 1930's, one of the oldestfederations in Egypt, and it currentlyincludes 4 active clubs; Gezira, Semouha,Sporting & the Police Sporting Union club,along with 2 associate member clubs;King's Ranch and Shams Jockey club.Part of the federation's various roles &activities is organising the local poloseason that typically starts in October andends in June. The federation organisesevents for the visiting teams from variousparts of the world; during the last 3 yearsteams from the Netherlands, Brazil,Switzerland, India, Spain, Pakistan,Zambia, Germany, Italy and Jordan haveplayed in Egypt. The federation alsoorganises trips for the Egyptian teams toplay abroad; 2 teams travelled during the2008 summer; one to the USA and thesecond to the Netherlands.

Ali El-Kashef

47

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FAROUK YOUNES,CHAIRMAN OF THEEGYPTIAN POLOFEDERATION:“The game was very competitive and Ithink the Egyptian team played very well;they compliment one another in a beautifulway. The American team they play verywell as individuals, but today as a teamthey were less coordinated, however theywere riding horses they are not acquaintedwith. At the last chucker, they gathered-up as a team, along with having very goodhorses, which eventually made the matchtight.”

ON THE SPORTDEVELOPING IN EGYPT:“In the near future, we need youngerplayers; we have been working ondeveloping the sport for the past 4 yearsby brining in professional trainers andumpires. We have also been sending ourplayers to participate at internationalevents in order to gain mileage, as wellas inviting international teams toparticipate locally as to enhance theexperience of our players. The mostefficient way to attract players and young

blood is to boost the culture of the game

through the media and of course through

sponsorship.

ON POLO PONIES:

“Usually polo ponies are bought directly

from the race track; I personally have a

series of Argentinean horses that are

imported along with my line of horses that

are bred locally.”

HESHAM EL-GHARBY,FOUNDER OF THE TINICUMPOLO PARK CLUB & TEAMMEMBER:

“We are here playing amongst friends

and the match was extremely nice; we

would like to come and play matches

again and again.

The polo sport in Egypt is quite hidden,

although there is much potential for the

game to develop; the team performs well

and are gaining experience due to

travelling to compete in international

competitions, as well as inviting

international teams to participate here in

Egypt.” HT

Danny Santana

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Two factors pronounce Frank Hopkins anextraordinary horseman: his ability to ratehis endurance horses for their maximumeffort and his success with the mustanghorse. After having spent nearly 60 yearsin the saddle on the western frontier ridingdispatch for frontier generals and havingcompeted in more endurance rides thanany other man, Frank believed that themustang was the most significant animalon the American continent. In one ofFrank's few published comments, hewrote: “I know what the mustang strainmeans, it means a horse that can keepgoing day in and day out, that doesn'tneed bandaging, fussing with, and thatcan win endurance rides whether the rulesare made to order or not…”

Frank shared the same high opinion ofthe mustang as did the Sioux Indians whoFrank knew well. He was born shortlyafter the Civil War in a log cabin in Fort

Laramie, Wyoming. His father was an

army scout and his mother is reputed to

have been the daughter of a Sioux chief.

Frank often rode with the Indians to

capture and break mustangs.

In his early teens he rode dispatch for

Generals Miles and Crook. Later he was

a buffalo hunter and worked with Buffalo

HIDALGO &FRANK HOPKINS

HORSES IN HISTORY

By Anthony Amaral, from Western Horseman Magazine, 1969

FRANK HOPKINS...BEST OF ENDURANCE

RIDERS? TWO FACTORS PRONOUNCE FRANK

HOPKINS AN EXTRAORDINARY HORSEMAN: HIS

ABILITY TO RATE HIS ENDURANCE HORSES FOR

THEIR MAXIMUM EFFORT AND HIS SUCCESS

WITH THE MUSTANG HORSE.

48

Jones, Bill Matheson, William Hinrer, andBill Cody. He was riding mustangs andhad developed definite opinions aboutthem. When Frank was riding as amessenger for General Crook, the generalmentioned to Frank “...if troops can'tovertake a band of Indians in 2 hours, it'sbetter to give up the chase." Frankpursued the comment and the General

replied that the wiry Indian ponies "...cango 90 miles without food or water. Theycan wear out all the cavalry horses wehave on the frontier.”

Frank probably was aware of the problemeven before General Crook had realisedthe situation. Besides the phenomenalendurance of the mustang, Frank alsorated the mustang as an intelligent andeconomical horse.

“You can’t beat mustang intelligence inthe entire equine race. These animalshave had to shift for themselves forgenerations. They had to work out theirown destiny or be destroyed. Those thatsurvived were animals of superiorintelligence. The mustang was grass-fedall his life. He picked his own food fromthe country, could live where even a cowwould starve, and knew how to take suchgood care of himself that he was alwaysready to go.”

ARTICLE BY ANTHONY AMARAL,SENT TO GILBERT JONES, FORMERPRESIDENT OF THE SPANISHMUSTANG REGISTRY, WHO THENSUBMITTED IT TO THE EDITOR OFTHE SMR NEWSLETTER IN THE1950’S:

Hidalgo will never have a bronzemonument erected in his memory to gracea green turf, as have Man O'War andCitation. And for some reason or other,his name and pluckiness escape thepages in books that list the "Who's Who"of the equine world.

Yet, pound for pound, Hidalgo, a pintomustang bred and raised with the Indianson a harsh South Dakota reservation, wasmore horse than a dozen of his blue-blooded cousins put together. But theremarkable story of Hidalgo is also theaccount of Frank Hopkins, a westernerwho had no peer when endurance ridingwas the rage at the turn of the century.All in all, the slender, dauntless Hopkinswho developed his endurance riding abilitycarrying dispatch for such frontier generalsas Miles and Crook, competed in 400long distance rides. If blue ribbons hadbeen awarded to the winner at the finishline, Hopkins would have tallied 400. Oneof his lengthy rides started at Galveston,Texas and ended at Rutland, Vermont. A1,800-mile ride in 31 days and finished 2weeks ahead of the next rider. Thegreatest contest was still to comehowever; 3,000 miles across the Arabiandesert against esteemed desert-bredArabian horses.

Hopkins had raised Hidalgo from SiouxIndian stock on the Pine RidgeReservation in South Dakota. Like manyMustangs of that time, Hidalgo wasdescended from horses brought to thiscontinent by the Spanish Conquistadors.Hopkins preferred this type of horse forhis rides. They were not much for looksbut their indefatigable enduranceoutweighed their poor appearance. Inensuing years, Hopkins teamed up withthe Buffalo Bill Wild West Show as aspecialty rider. While in Paris during the

49

World's Fair in 1889, Rau Rasmussen, alover of fine horses, approached him anda businessman who dominated most ofthe camel freighting around Aden on thesouthern tip of Arabia. Rasmussen spoketo Hopkins, telling him of an enduranceride that was held in Arabia each year, asit had been for 1.000 years. Only desert-bred Arabians had ever competed in thelong trek. But Rasmussen had heard ofthe prairie mustangs, those scrubby,coarse-looking horses which had outrunthe fastest horses the frontier cavalry hadmustered against mounted Indians. Heasked Hopkins if he would be willing topit one of his mustangs against Arabianhorses. With the financial support of theCongress of Rough Riders of the World,Hopkins' acceptance immediately stirredkeen interest in cavalry and civilian horsecircles throughout the world. Hopkinsarrived in Arabia in 1890 for the endurancerace, bringing with him 3 horses; Hidalgo,then 8 years old, was Hopkins' final choicefor the ride. Slightly over 100 horsesstarted on the ride from Aden. The greatcaravan of skilled Arabian riders rode theirmost prized mounts. They were spirited,accustomed to the difficulty of traversingthe sands, and accustomed to the sunthat sprayed exhausting heat upon them.Even among the mass of mountedhorsemen, Hopkins stood out with parti-coloured, 950-pound Hidalgo from theAmerican plains. Hopkins held Hidalgoat a steady pace as they made their waythrough the dry heat and over sandy soil.The march progressed to the Persian Gulfand up toward Syria and then along theborder of Syria and Arabia. Each day theriders started with the sun, following ituntil they were marching into it. Horses

dropped by the way, some exhausted,some lame. At the end of the first week,the scarcity of water and the meager dietthe horses were forced to exist upon inthe barren country had culled theinadequate horses.

The strung line of riders dwindled daily.Entering the second week of the gruellingtrek, Hopkins made his move and startedto pass the other desert riders. In the

Hopkins & parti-coloured Hidalgo walking the deserts of Arabia

wake of the sand kicked up by Hidalgo,treasured Arabian horses of the Bedouinsfell farther and farther behind, while Hidalgokept to a steady pace.

On the 66th day of the ride Hopkins rodeHidalgo to the finish stone, leaving behindhim 3.000 scorching miles. Hidalgo hadlost considerable weight, drawing his pintohide close to his bones. Hopkins had himwell rested and fed when the second horse

arrived 33 hours later. The Arabs praised

Hidalgo for the distinction he had won. He

had lived up to his name “exceptional,”

“exalted.”

The story of Hidalgo is still mentioned

among Arabian horse enthusiasts, but

always with the conjecture, was Hidalgo

an exceptional horse? Did he, as the

typical representative of the mustangs of

the American plains show superiority over

the most acclaimed breed in the world,

the Arabian horse? HT50

David Pincus riding his homebred Grand Prix stallion Sheepcote Wurlizer by Weltmever

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DRESSAGEJUDGING

HOW CAN WE MAKE IT BETTER?By David Pincus, England

IN THE PAST 30 YEARS DRESSAGE RIDING HASDEVELOPED INTO A GLOBAL SPORT. ALTHOUGH NOTAS POPULAR AS SHOW JUMPING OR EVENTING, IT ISGROWING IN POPULARITY. AS THE SPORT GROWS ANDOPENS ITSELF, THE JUDGING OF DRESSAGECOMPETITIONS COMES UNDER GREATER SCRUTINY.

Many people find judging inconsistent andunclear, and many believe that unless judgingwill improve and become more transparentthe sport will lose its credibility; some of thereasons for these concerns are very apparent.Very often the discrepancies between theplacing of different judges is significant…horsescan be placed in the top 3 with 1 judge andlower than 15th with another. In most casesjudges who are judging their own nationalsplace them higher. In the 2008 Olympic Gamesand FEI Junior/Young Riders Championshipsthere are instances of this happening;

instances when horses display severdisobedience or riders that utilise unethicaltraining methods in public are declared thebest in the world. Dressage will be broughtinto disrepute and require swift rectificationwhich unfortunately, so far has been slow tohappen.

The role of the Governing Body of the sportis to devise a system, lay down guidelines inorder to create the best possible judgingsystem which takes into account any potentialimpediments in order to provide a faircompetition. The system must take into

account the strengths and weaknesses ofhuman nature and psychological effects overjudging.

A fair system will have the confidences ofmost participants and will not only be fair butwill also appear to be fair which is important.The following paragraphs give somesuggestions as to the causes and proposesome corrective measures. Judges do not sitdown in front of the arena with the aim tojudge badly, however somehow the currentsystem and procedures will lead them astray.

THE COLLECTIVE MARKS:

One of the most controversial issues are thecollective marks at the bottom of the sheets.Many feel that they are outdated and no longerrequired. Others believe that they areinconsistent and bias the results. A closeanalysis of the collective marks will help uscome to a better understanding of the situation.

Isabell Werth on Satchmo in GP Special

61

Historically, before the sport was a competitionin days of the cavalry for instance, the collectivemarks were the general comments given tosummarise the assessment of the horse duringhis training stages by the rider's superior. Theirrole was to indicate to the rider where hishorse requires improvement and at what stageof the expected level is his training, they werenot meant as a vehicle to compare andsegregate one rider from another; their rolewas purely educational.

Today a dressage competition is what it says;a competition. The judge's role should belimited to the appraisal of the performance asthey see it, movement by movement.Obviously there is and should be an elementof comparison between competitors as theaim is to find a winner. The one which performsthe test according to the scales of training andis as close to the ideal as laid down by theFEI will be awarded the highest marks. If the

collective marks reflect the test it would bepointless to award them and if they do not,then there is a problem as they will not berelevant to the test performed. It would beimpossible to reach a unanimous interpretationof the collective marks and this is the reasonwhy many results transpire as unclear and attimes manipulated.

Elements in the collective marks:

The first to appear on the list is the paces; toinclude all paces in all forms, for example:collected, medium and extended in one markis very challenging. A horse may be veryexpressive in his extension but limited in thecollected paces or vice versa. There is nouniform agreement as to what paces are themost suitable for dressage. Some have apreference for large expansive paces andsome like paces that can collect easily. Withmodern breeding some horses show paceswith amazing knockout factors. The question

is should this have a detrimental effect overthe appraisal? Dressage is not a show classbut a test of training and riding.

One judge may look at one element whileanother may look at another element. Judgesmight evaluate their chosen element correctlybut come to a completely different mark muchto the confusion of spectators and competitors.

The impulsion mark would have been easyto award but the inclusion of elasticity,suppleness and engagement of the hind legsall under the same heading complicates theissue and has the same limitations asmentioned above.

During the 2008 Olympics the submissionmark came under great pressure. For manyit was not clear as to how the horse showingthe most disobedience in the competition didnot receive the lowest mark for submission.Was the rider showing skill at bringing thehorse under control or was it poor rider

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Isabell Werth on Satchmo in GP Fresstyle

judgment by pushing the horse too far? Therewill never be an agreement about this; mostof the elements which appear in the collectivemarks have been taken into considerationwhen judging. Movement, suppleness,engagement etc. are the basis for evaluatingany dressage exercise. To award these marksagain is simply duplication.

The rider's marks are the most controversialof all the marks and the one that is mostlydebated. Recently on the British Dressageforum there was little agreement as to how toaward these marks, it transpires that judgescan simply award these marks however theywish without clear guidelines from theGoverning Bodies. With modern public scoringfacilities, one often sees in international showsthat some riders are awarded higher collectivemarks than others for no apparent reason.

The current use of the collective marks toseparate 2 competitors in case of a tie isthoroughly illogical; currently the one with thehigher collectives is declared the winner whilethe rider that performed a better test movementfor movement is relegated below.

A good judging system will reduce thesubjective element to the minimum, and willleave to be judged only what can easily beagreed upon. Most of the technical elementscan be agreed upon according to the scalesof training and other directives but the collectivemarks will always be more subjective as it isimpossible to lay exact guidelines on howthey should be awarded.

The current judging system suffers from morefailings which need addressing:

The rogue judge:

Following judging practises in competitionswe often notice that a judge may have a farmore influential outcome than others. Thisjudge may award a combination with asignificantly higher mark than the others andequally may award another combination asignificantly lower mark than other judges. Ifthis difference between the marks awardedby this judge is large enough, then it can makethe scores from the other judges almostirrelevant, he will select the winner.

Excessive subjectivity:

Dressage judging as already pointed out isvery subjective but must be minimised asmuch as possible. When Olympic medals areon offer it will be nearly impossible for a judgeto be totally impartial to national spirits andhopes and not absorb some of the atmospheresurrounding the competition. One often seesriders receiving higher scores from judges oftheir own nationality.

Procedures & protocol:

Some of the current dressage procedurescontain severe flaws which bring the publicto question the whole judging system. Thesystem needs to appear just and correct with

no apparent questionable procedures.

Judges can wear many official hats and thiscan create a conflict of interest. Currently ajudge can hold a very high ranking officialposition in his own national federation or theFEI, determine selections, rules etc., as wellas be an international judge. A judge shouldonly be a judge and not hold any other officialposition; otherwise there is always thepossibility of conflict of interest.

The manner in which judges are selected forinternational competitions is questionable.Currently there is no protocol on how to choosejudges for major competitions they areappointed by the FEI committee or invited byan organiser which is often a competitor atthe same show. With the current structure ofthe committee it is self serving. At the 2008Olympics the riders raised an objection to thecompositions of the jury and demandedchanges of judges' panel. Should there havebeen a protocol for selection there would beless grounds for complaints.

The way forward:

Criticism without offering an alternative haslittle value. The following are several ideaswhich may be used as a whole or will stimulatesome thoughts as to how to rectify the situation:

- All collective marks should simply beabolished and the results should be determinedaccording to the execution of the technicalmovements within the test.

- The rogue judge or the patriotic judge canbe dealt with by devising a system in whichthe scores of judges judging own nationals orout of line (highest/lowest scores) will beautomatically discarded. The implementationof this idea needs some adjustments andfurther thinking but it is a base to start from.

- Avoid judges that have 2 roles such as ajudge and an official within the organisationin order to limit conflicts of interest.

- Judges for major competition should besubject to a selection protocol and not based

on any personal affiliation between selectorsto the selected.

Most of the flaws which are criticised are inareas where there are no clear coherentguidelines whether it's on the technical judgingor procedural side. Where no clear parametersare available individuals can stray or the on-lookers can criticise. If and when these pointsare corrected, dressage judging will regainthe respect it deserves.

When I began compiling my notes I was afairly lonely voice concerning these issues butrecent upheavals in the FEI showed that manypeople have noticed these flaws and hopefullythe brave moves taken by the President ofthe FEI will change the current situation to abetter one. The FEI is seeking to implementsome important changes which are supportedby some and resisted by others. The leadingEuropean nations object to the meddling ofnewcomer nations in their sport. Thenewcomers point of view must be taken intoaccount as they propel the European dressageindustries (breeding, training etc.) to where itis. Dressage is no longer the domain of a fewEuropean countries but is becoming openand very global; many countries which arenot featured in the world rankings yet, do havean important role in the whole sport and theirinvolvement in itself has a very positiveeconomical benefit for the leading countries.Isabell Werth and Anky van Grunsven wouldnot be worldwide stars without the worldinterest in dressage. The German and Dutchbreeding industries would not be where theyare if world markets did not exist. HT

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International dressage rider David PincusB.H.S.I. has been riding since childhood andhas had a career in show jumping, eventingand dressage competitions. He now trainshorses and riders from Novice to Grand Prix.His students have won many prizes includingInternational 3 Day Events. Past students ofhis include Claire Oseman, the 1985 EuropeanYoung Rider 3DE Champion, VanessaAshbourne, Reserve Champion in 1986 atthe Young Rider European Championshipsand in the USA, Odded Shimoni, well knowntrainer and Grand Prix winner, started hiscareer training with David. Linda Foster, atop instructor and FEI competitor fromAustralia gained Grand Prix experience onhis horses. This coming year he is going tostart another of his homebred horses atGrand Prix. His 10th home trained GrandPrix horse. The training methods taught byDavid are those he learned training in Europe.Including the Spanish riding school - Vienna,and in Germany including Warendorf andwith Dr Reiner Klimke. David also spent sometime in France training with the Cadre Noirin Saumur.

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Over a cup of coffee and an initial nicechat about David Beckham, the rock bandMetallica, and a horse that is dear to hisheart, I met with the Egyptian Libran riderDiaa Amr Bisheer who was very outspokenabout his positive views regarding the ArabLeague and the fact that it does representa step up from national and local showswhere competition levels are upped by alarger number of skilled riders. Known tohis friends and family as the “Monster”,Diaa showed no monstrous behaviour andonly gave Horse Times the chance to directa periscope on his latest achievements.

Education:

I studied Business Administration at theMaadi Modern Academy in Cairo. I mostlyrode and tried to keep up with my studies.

Riding:

I love horses. I was one of those kids who'dsee a horse in children's books and go to

my mother to tell her that I loved horsesand wanted to see one! She took me toShams Club, Cairo and it all started therewhen I was 6 years old with my first trainerGen. Youssef Ghorab. I went on tocompete in national shows until I was 18then I started competing in smallinternational shows in Europe where I wonthe 6 bar show in Lowville, France. At 21years of age, I travelled to Saudi Arabiawhere I currently reside and train. By thattime, what is called the World Cup ArabLeague was constituted, and this is howI have managed to compete.

Latest achievements:

As soon as I finished university I movedto Saudi; at that time I was riding theEgyptian Federation's horse 'Castro' whohelped me a lot in A Class shows eventhough he was not qualified to be a teamhorse. I worked hard with him to make him

Diaa during Seif Al Sham Championships,Syria 2008

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DIAA AMR BISHEERBy Nada H. Abdelmoniem

Country: Egypt

Date of Birth: September 25th 1980

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compete with other horses even thoughhe wasn't supposed to jump this level. InSaudi, a variety of horses were availablewhich enhanced my training. I am currentlypart of the national Egyptian show jumpingteam and I compete in the Arab League;during Seif Al Sham international event inSyria, we came in 2nd as a team, and Icame in 2nd place on the individual levelriding 'Casper'. The 2007/2008 seasonwas quite a good season and verysuccessful for me, though I didn't start with'Casper' I started with a horse called 'AlMandoob' who helped me come in 6thplace at the Dubai Grand Prix, 1st in theSharjah Grand Prix, and 4th in Abu Dhabi.I also competed in Bahrain where I rodein the qualifier for the Grand Prix and camein 4th with the same horse, butunfortunately I didn't ride during the GrandPrix because the majority of riders facedproblems with the show's organisation andmost of us decided not to compete. At theshow in Qatar, I came 1st in the GrandPrix qualifier and 3rd in the Grand Prix.Finally, during the last event of the ArabLeague 2008 season in Syria, I came in5th place during Bassel Al Assad GrandPrix and 6th in Seif Al Sham's.

Training in Saudi, sponsorship & the2009 season:

I am being trained by Samir Abdel Fattah,the trainer of the Egyptian team who hassupported my training since I was 16. Itrain with him almost everyday; he's afantastic man who knows a lot about horsesand a great manager as well. My sponsorDr. Khalid Al Jeraisy is a rider and acomfortable man to work with; he provides

me with a lot of space and freedom whichis why I have continued working with himfor 5 years now. He doesn't own a club;he sponsors me through one of hiscompanies called 'Al- Alouka', the namewritten across my riding gear. We ride atKhalid Al Eid's stables because it ispreferable for us to gain experience fromhim. Al Eid also helps us with a lot of ourtechnical problems; he's a very decentperson and I'm very grateful for all that hehas taught me.

For the 2009 season, I will be riding a newmare called 'Ravanta' who is 9 years oldand very promising. She is owned by mysponsor. I will also be riding another mare,'Oshima' who is the full sister of 'AlMandoob'; another very good mare, alongwith 'Ronnie' who I am preparing for theQatar and Sharjah shows.

Future aspirations & the Arab League:

To compete at the Olympic Games ofcourse! I'd prefer calling it a goal, not adream; I just have to work as hard as I canto reach Olympic levels. To train in Europeis an option, but it would be unwise of meto go now although I've received someoffers from there, however I wouldn't findthe same horse power and finances as Ido in Saudi. There are more than 20 horsesavailable for riding at Al Jeraisy stables,the majority of which can jump Grand Prixlevels, which is difficult to find at any otherstable. The Arab League is now very strongand we have the same competitions as inEurope, almost the same courses. I havecompeted before in Europe; the onlyproblem was speed as their horses aremuch faster than ours; it's like comparing

a Lamborghini to a Mercedes. Their horses

are better and are therefore more

expensive, but it can be done. There are

riders who have normal horses and believe

they could compete with European riders.

An example for that would be Khalid Al

Eid and Ramzy El Duhami; Khalid has an

Olympic bronze medal and Ramzy qualified

for the Grand Prix during the 2008

Olympics. He could have won if lady luck

was on his side. Those are riders we should

look up to as idols and ones that make us

believe that we could do it, and do what

they did at the Olympics. I believe Khalid

broke a very big barrier between us and

Europeans. I believe that staying here,

with the Arab League, would be a wise

choice for everyone…we have fantastic

facilities from footings to arenas such as

the ones in Sharjah, Qatar and Syria's

indoor arena.

Criticism of the Arab League & its lack

of top competition:

Everybody wants everything on the

spot…to be successful and to get medals

on the spot! But everyone has to work very

hard and we have to work 20 times harder

than European riders because they breed

their own horses, keep the good ones for

themselves and never sell them outside

of Europe, thus this is something we have

to do for ourselves, we have to start

breeding our own horses. We have to start

getting the know-how and start working

together. As such, surely in the next 4

years many Arab riders will acquire

mileage.

Family support:

Samir Abdelfattah’s is not just my trainer,

but I consider him to be part of my family;

we have very good and bad days together

but he never lets me down. He was always

the one there for me. Khalid Al Jeraisy is

a man that has been supporting me

financially for 5 years; his support has

helped me gain some success. My family

provide me with emotional support and

want me to do what's best for me even

though its very difficult for them to cope

with all this both financially and time wise

because they have their own lives and can’t

travel around with me everywhere. HT

cannot see what is behind him. Byunderstanding the natural behaviour of thehorse, we can use and develop hisstrengths, rather than work against him.

From learning through his own experience,he can be taught how to respond toparticular signals. A conditioned responseis one that is established by training to astimulus that is not natural. When a younghorse walk forwards on his own accord -perhaps following another horse - sometrainers will make a clicking sound with theirtongue. When this technique is repeatedover a number of occasions, the horse willstart to associate the clicking sound withgoing forwards. Soon, he will move forwardswhenever he learns this sound.

The release of the reins is a negativereinforcement of the initial response of

halting; the horse isencouraged to respond

to the aids so that thepressure on his mouthwill be released.

TR A I N I N G T H EHORSE:

Most early horset r a i n i n g u s e s

conditioning and negativereinforcement. Once basicc o m m u n i c a t i o n i sestablished between atrainer and a younghorse, one signal canquickly be replaced byanother. For example,using a voice aid for

IT IS POSSIBLE TO TEACHA HORSE TO RESPOND TOQUITE SUBTLE SIGNALS,AND EVEN TO OVERCOMEHIS NATURAL INSTINCTSSUCH AS FEAR OF ANUNFAMILIAR OBJECT ORSOUND.INSTINCTIVE & LEARNED BEHAVIOUR:

It is undoubtedly easier to teach a horse torespond to a signal when the desiredbehaviour comes mentally. A horse willwillingly move forward to a squeeze fromthe leg, but he will be reluctant to respondto a signal to move backward when he

(Part 3)

HOW TO BE A TRAINER (Part 7)

By Dr. Mohamed Elsherbini

THE HORSE’S

MENTAL FITNESS

young horses is substituted later on by legand rein aids when the trainer is in thesaddle. Negative reinforcement, such asthe horse halting to the pressure of thereins, can immediately be followed bypositive reinforcement, such as a pat toshow the horse that he has responded well.Later on, as a reward of the halt, a patwould also do well.

Habituation: is the decrease inresponsiveness produced by repeatedstimulation. For example, a horse that hasbeen frightened by traffic at an early ageneeds to be exposed progressively andregularly to cars so that he becomes usedto them. A good example of unintendedhabituation is when a rider uses very strongleg aids, which results in a diminishingresponse from the horse.

Sensitisation: is the increase inresponsiveness produced by a progressiveincrease in stimulation. A horse that hasbecome unresponsive to a normal leg aidcan be made more sensitive if the rideruses the leg with a spur or stick as the aidto go forwards and then reward the horsewhen he responds. As the horse becomessensitised, one can begin to use leg aidsonly without spurs.

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USING PUNISHMENT CAREFULLY:

A great deal can be accomplished in trainingsimply by ignoring undesirable responses.A response that is neither rewarded norpunished tends to disappear. A positivepunishment, such as kicking the sides ofthe horse after he has refused a fence,should be used carefully. If used too much,it can become associated with a type ofwork, which in turn can lead to unwillingbehaviour. The threat of punishment is oftenenough, for instance by taking your legsaway from the horse's sides but not kickinghim. Not rewarding an unsatisfactoryresponse can also work well with a trainedhorse.

HAPPY HORSES MAKE HAPPY RIDERS:

The more a rider thinks of the horse as apartner rather than a machine, the morethe horse will give. With a suitableenvironment, sufficient exercise, and goodtraining, a horse will accept his rider andthrive in the partnership that can existbetween humans and horses. If your horseis not settled in his work, try to find the rootof the problem so that you can resolve anybehavioural issues and develop his truepotential. When a horse is happy in hiswork, notice the relaxed position of the ear,the calmness in his eyes, his regularbreathing, and the ease of his movement.These signs are all symptomatic of acontented horse that accepts his rider,enjoys his work, and uses his back. A horsemust understand what is required of him,however, also understand his part of thebargain as well trained horses show realintelligence. In the state of captivity in whicha horse is held, it is up to the rider or thetrainer to assume the responsibility fordeveloping a horse's mental ability and toinfluence the degree to which he canbecome independent and findmore enjoyment in his work.

With good training, it ispossible to improve ahorse's state of mind anddevelop him mentally sothat he can achieve his

highest potential. However, your expectationlevels need to be relevant to the horse'sage and level of training. The most that canbe expected from a young horse is beingsteady and animated. Such a horse is likelyto have a good temperament and to be apleasure to train and ride.

MENTAL PROBLEMS DURINGTRAINING:

Whatever the level of your horse's training,you may find your horse unsettled in hiswork. All horses that have a difficulttemperament or show a sudden change inmental attitude should have a thoroughveterinary examination. With a majority ofdifficult horses, pain is found to be at theroot of the problem like a badly fitting tack,or sharp teeth, foot or back pain. If the vetand farrier give the all-clear signal, thereare a number of ways you can resolve someof the typical problems. Generally, it helpsto turn your horse out most of the time andlet him have company. A horse walker canbe used to supplement daily exercisewithout human/horse tension. Most horsescan also benefit from regular groomingsessions and other close contact with theirrider on regular basis. Lungeing work isparticularly good for improving a horse'smental attitude and to help him becomemore relaxed and steady with asimple communication with therider. When assessing yourhorse, do not forget to look atyour own att i tudes andbehaviour as to see if theymay be adversely affectingthe horse. For example,some people associateugliness in horses withstupidity and always treat

the horse under the impression of beingstupid.

Solution Plans:

Once you have pinpointed a particularbehavioural issue, plan a programme tohelp resolve the problem. In many cases,this will mean going back to the basics sothat you can encourage and reinforce goodbehaviour. In all cases, follow sensiblemethods and structured routines. Anexcitable horse needs a structuredapproach, a calm environment, and long,slow work. He will work best if he is turnedout all the time and is always ridden by thesame patient rider. A nervous horse needsa sympathetic rider. He may also be happierin a more restricted environment. If a horseis depressed, it may be because of pain,sickness, boredom, or bullying from humansor other horses. A spirited and kind-heartedrider can motivate these types of horses.Suspicious horses might have sufferedpain or discomfort in their early lessons orexperiences. Taking these horses incontrolled environments with lower levelexercises will help to build trust. If anaggressive horse is not suffering pain, itmay be that he has learnt aggression as asurvival habit like stallions. Some steps

should be taken backwards in the trainingprocess, so that an unthreatening,trusting relationship can be formed. HT

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(Part 1)

74

Just as people suffer from stiffness,arthritic conditions degeneration, sorenessand general wear and tear, so do animals.Osteopathy is a well-established treatmentmethod of manual therapy that works ontreating the body as a whole, not just thesymptom. Osteopathy is as popular forhorses as it is for people. The NorthAmerican Indians used to use manualmanipulative medicine to treat theiranimals, as well as each other.

Osteopaths in the United Kingdom areregulated by The General OsteopathicCouncil and all receive 5 years training.Treatments include soft tissue work,u l t rasound and electro- therapy,acupuncture, manipu la t ion andcraniosacral work. Equine Osteopathy isused to treat such conditions as cold back,head tossing, sacroiliac lesion, tendoninjury, ligament overstrain, and lamenessdue to back disorder.

Problems in the back can disturb themechanical function of the whole body.Back pain can affect a horse in manyways ranging from lameness in one orboth hind-limbs, loss of impulsion,reluctance to jump, reduced bend in theback in one or both directions, elevatedhead carriage and back stiffness duringexercise. Other problems such as pelvic,stifle or hock pain, and changes intemperament and behaviour are also

common symptoms.

Anthony Pusey pioneered the applicationof human osteopathic techniques in thetreatment of animals and workedenthusiastically to place animal osteopathyon a firm scientific footing. His manypatients included the horses of the QueensHousehold Cavalry at Knightsbridgebarracks, as well as the horses atBuckingham Palace Mews and WindsorCastle.

Jonathan Cohen studied under AnthonyPusey and was the first osteopath inEurope to hold a university-validatedqualification in veterinary osteopathy - anintensive course that included veterinaryanatomy, pathology, and physiology. Heis a founder member of the Society ofOsteopaths in Animal Practice (SOAP).The Society was set up in 2004 followingclose consultation with the GeneralOsteopathic Council. (GOsC). The aimsof the society are to promote theprofessional development of osteopathywithin the area of animal treatment.

Can you explain what Osteopathy is?

Osteopathy is an established, recognisedsystem of diagnosis and treatment thatlays its main emphasis on the structuralintegrity of the body. Osteopathy is alsoa system of manual therapy with a strongemphasis on anatomy and physiology. In

other words if a wheel is fitted to a carand all the bolts are not done up tightly,then the suspension is not going to workproperly on that side of the car, and thewheels are not going to spin smoothly,and then the wear and tear on the car isgoing to be uneven and the people insidethe car are going to have anuncomfortable ride. Similarly if there is aproblem with your ankle it is going to affectyour knee and your hip and lower back,your neck, and shoulder, everything. Soit is about structure, function and correctingunevenness.

How do you become an osteopath?How do you train and what is involvedin the training?

Since 1993 osteopathy in the UnitedKingdom has become a governmentlegislated qualification and a protectedtitle. That means that the governmentwants to standardise training so that it isregulated. The osteopathic qualificationis a Bachelor of Science degree coursethat takes 5 years to complete. Itincorporates a strong foundation inanatomy, medical pathology andosteopathic technique and therefore aclear rational of how and why anosteopathic technique affects the bodythe way it does.

What is Thermography and how does

By Sue Akehurst, England

EQUINEOSTEOPATHYEQUINEOSTEOPATHY

75

it help with Osteopathy?

Thermography is a non-invasive way ofmeasuring soft tissue temperaturechanges, commonly used in screeningfor breast cancer in humans. Chronic oracute injuries all show up as differentgradients of colour in thermographicimages. The colour gradient one looks atis a good indication of the state of the softtissues which are being scanned. Shadesof red can represent inflammation andblue often indicates lack of circulation. Aheat detection camera is used in atemperature controlled room and thescans are fed into a computer to view theimages.

If I or my horse needed an Osteopathwhat signs would I look out for or whatwould I see or feel?

That's a very good question, and it is alsoa very broad one. However, to try andsum it up I would say that with horses,riders can notice things like unevenness,and often comment on an inability for thehorse to work in any one direction. Forexample, work on the left rein might beunequal to work on the right rein. Horsescan also change in habits when they havefunctional or musculoskeletal problems,so a horse that has always been a goodshow jumper may suddenly becomeagitated when it faces a jump, or start tostop at a place that it never did before.Dressage horses are lovely to work withbecause the riders, especially atin te rna t iona l l eve l , a re superknowledgeable about t iny subtlemovements, so if the horse is notperforming as it normally would then thatcan be an indication to have it checked.

On a more basic level, a horse may havesuddenly become sensitive in their backand may buck or rear when the saddle isput on, or even with just a subtle bit ofpressure. Someone may notice as theygroom their horse that the animal mayflinch when pressure is applied to theback or neck. All of these signs can begood indicators that there may be afunctional or musculoskeletal problem.We humans suffer from general spinalstiffness, neck stiffness, and headachesto problems with external joints like knees,elbows, and shoulders. The range ofsymptoms we suffer from can be hugeand the relationship between the rider

and the horse is very important. In termsof how the horse and rider come together;if you find it difficult to look over your leftor right shoulder, or similarly if you aremuch more dominant on one side thanthe other, it is very logical that eventuallythis is going to affect how the horse isworking. Some people still say, that horsesare big and strong and don't need anyhands-on treatment. But just look how ahorse reacts when a fly lands on its backand how it can turn inside-out becauseof this tiny little bit of pressure on itsomewhere.

So osteopathy isn't just focussing onthe back, shoulder and neck it is allthe joints?

It is, however, I would say that 95% ofwhat osteopaths see is spinal, from thepoll all the way down to the coccygeal(the 35 segments of the vertebrae mostdistant from the skull) or tail. Also in a lotof cases any kind of swelling or oedemaaround the joints, around the stifle, hock,or knee etc is quite often something thatwe would suggest getting a vet to look atas well. It is important to remember thatas much as possible, we work inconjunction with vets, because a teamapproach is advantageous in equine care.

So why and when should I call anosteopath as opposed to a vet?

In the United Kingdom the law states thatosteopaths, physiotherapists and

chiropractors must have veterinaryconsent before treating an animal. 90%of the time the osteopath wouldn't seethe vet, but the vet will be made awareeither by the osteopath, or the owner, thatthe horse is going to be seen and treated.A multi-disciplinary team is often moreaffective when working together and italso ensures that treatments complementeach other rather than clash. Vets, farriers,and even dentists will often refer horsesto osteopaths following remedial work intheir field.

What could I expect during a typicalconsult?

The osteopath looks for signs of muscleswelling, muscle loss & symmetry andany signs of abnormality. Following adetailed case history, this includesquestions about current medication ortreatment, the breed, age and sex of thehorse as well as a horse's previousmusculoskeletal and systematic problems,dental and foot care. The osteopathexamines the horse before treating it.When horses show muscle spasm andrigidity upon examination this is a positivesign of back pain. Some horses mayeven grunt, kick or rear when theosteopath palpates (manually examines)the painful area. The osteopath palpatesthe spine to assess pain and symmetryin the back. He also observes the waythe horse moves actively on the lunge, inthe walk, trot and canter to confirm thediagnosis.

Why is the sex of the horse important?

Behaviour can be very different betweena stallion, gelding and mare, and alsobetween different breeds. Arabian maresand Arabian stallions tend to be differentto say Hanoverian mares and Hanoverianstallions, and although there arecommonalities, you tend to get differentcharacter traits in different breeds. Witha female horse you need to consider, justlike with a person, things like pregnancyand hormonal changes i.e.: is the marein season? So yes, breed, discipline, andany previous history are important.

What kind of treatments are carriedout by an Osteopath during a typicalconsult?

Osteopathy work includes anything fromdeep tissue work like massage, stretchinglimbs, articulating the joint (which is gentle

76

mobilisation), traction and stretching, andsegmental manipulation etc. You maymanipulate a spinal segment that is outof alignment to help all the soft tissuesrelax around it, and to help the soft tissuereturn to normality.

How long would a consult with anOsteopath take?

Typically a new patient consultation takesan hour with a horse, and the second timeyou see it you might spend an hour again,but you tend to do more treatment andless talking because you don't need totake the whole case history again. Thesecond appointment is as important asthe first because when you reach aworking diagnosis of what you think isgoing on, it is to see what happends asa result of the first treatment. If thesymptoms get worse, or don't change,you may need to revise your diagnosis.It is the same as a doctor prescribing youa drug. They will get you back to see howyou got on and they may lower or increasethe dosage or change the medicationdepending on how you react to it. It is thesame with osteopathy. Though we arenot prescribing medication, we are doinghands on treatment that affects thephysiology of the way the horse is working.

What would be the normal aftercarefollowing osteopathic treatment?

After care includes advice and follow-upappointments where required. If theosteopath sees that a rider is aggravatinga horse's back problem with stiffness onthe rein, head tilt, over-collection or anunbalanced seat, he might advise oncorrect training, exercise, schooling anduse of correctly fitting tack and riderposition. This can prevent reoccurrencesof back problems and other issues.

After a treatment, you can get what is

called a healing crisis, which is not asnegative as it may sound. It is a globalmedical term for the reaction that canhappen after treatment. No one canpredict what happens after you get a fluinjection, or after a massage, or what canhappen after you have had your neckmanipulated. Some horses will be in tiptop condition three hours after a treatment,however, you can experience a healingcrisis which is when a body that has beenworking a certain way, changes. Youcan get a reaction where you get stiffnessor soreness, or something that isuncomfortable, before it settles and getscomfortable.So with regards to horse andpeople I tend to recommend usually about48 hours of a more relaxed regime.Sometimes you have to know when toallow a little time to rest in order toimprove. HT

To be continued…..