May 2013 NAGs NEWS NAGs Committee PRESIDENT: Dorry Hofman 0423 417 495 SECRETARY: Lois Wattis 0404 857 272 TREASURER: Sue Barnett 0407 609 695 VICE-PRESIDENT: Tina Ridley COMMITTEE, Madeline Horne Felicia McGilchrist Lucy Bloomfield Sally Devlin Inside this issue: Presidents Report & Thank You EA and DQ News 1 Warm-up Etiquette 2 On a lighter note.. 3 Advertising 3 Horse Health 4 Competition Time! 5 Events Calendar 6 1 Well, so far we have achieved 3 from 3 competitions and now that the weather seems to be on the improve, hopefully we will see all of our future competitions go off without any problems. Unfortunately, rain on the morning on the April One Star did make conditions challenging to say the least but despite wet arenas the day went off really well. Facebook has become a valuable tool for the club to keep members and riders informed of the situation at hand and this was demonstrated by the activity on the site the day before the competition. A big thank you needs to go to Tina who managed the initial draw and then Madeline who put together an emergency draw at very The QLD Festival of Dressage is on the 20th July at the QLD State Equstrian Centre. Tickets are now on sale from t h e i r w e b s i t e www.qlddressagefest.com. short notice which involved compressing 4 rings in to 3. No easy task indeed and it was very cheerfully done as well. Also, a big thank you to Tracey, Gail and Susan for managing gear check and writers and to Lois for organizing the mountain of ribbons and prizes. All things considered, the day was extremely successful and well run given the difficult circumstances. We now look forward to our Associate Championships on the 19th May. Class numbers are good for this competition and we must pay a huge acknowledgement to our sponsors for this day, Cooroy Saddlery. Thank you kindly from all of the NAGs team. The good people at Cooroy Saddlery often help out our club so all members, particularly those up north, please visit these kind people and Dressage Queensland News and Information Gold Class tickets are selling fast so do not delay if you wish to have ringside seats! support their business. In June we have another of our popular Members Dressage days. This day will be run like the day we have in February this year where riders will receive their test sheets immediately after riding and as such receive valuable input from our fabulous judges. Entries are now online at nominate.com and close on the 24th May. But now with such pleasant weather I am off to ride my horse and I certainly hope you all enjoy your riding as well. Kind regards, Dorry NEW 2013 Preparatory T e s t s c a n b e do wn l o a ded fro m. Make sure you are riding the correct test at our dressage days! Find us on Facebook orthcoast Active-riders Group ( ags)
Page 2 Warm-Up Arena Etiquette As there are many horses warming up in a restricted area, it is important that all riders have knowledge of the etiquette required in group riding. This ensures safe riding and achieves harmony in busy areas. Safety is paramount and a collision should be avoided at all times. Before entering the warm up area, make sure the gateway and immediate track are clear. Riders should pass left shoulder to left shoulder when on the track. When not on the outside track (e.g. on a diagonal line) riders should give way to the horses on their left. The more progressive gait has priority on the track. Halt should not be on the track. Walk should not be on the track and does not have right of way. Trot has priority over walk. Canter has priority over trot. Lateral work has priority over ALL paces. When circling, anticipate your return to the track so as to not stop the flow of other riders. Mounting, dismounting and gear adjustment should be done off the track. Consideration should be given to behaviour of other horses in the arena that may upset your horse. Photo courtesy of www.stuff.co.nz If a horse is upsetting the majority, an Official should be sought with a view to requesting that horse s removal for safety s sake. If you wish to lunge your horse, you must use the designated area for lunging. Ensure videoing is carried out at least 10 metres back from the arena. A Blast From the Past.. This report was taken from the September Newsletter 1990 showing a record 460 entries to the 2-Day Championships that year! The big question Was this record ever beaten????? Watch this space for further Historical Updates :)
Northcoast Active-Riders Page 3 On a lighter note... Newsletter Advertising Do you have something to sell, an event to promote or looking for your new best friend? Want to reach LOCAL horse people?? We are more than happy to include your advert in our monthly newsletter. Pricing is: $15 for a 1/4 page advert $30 for a 1/2 page advert $50 for a full page DATE CLAIMER The Large Animal Rescue Course is coming to Nambour. 16th November 2013 Watch this space for further information. All proceeds from adverts go right back in to your club. Send all ads to susan.wettenhall@y7mail.com
Page 4 SUBSOLAR ABSCESSES Horses with abscesses located within the hoof capsule typically present with severe or nonweight-bearing lameness. Abscesses in the foot are generally caused by bacteria that gain access to the sensitive tissue between the sole and coffin bone by way of the bloodstream or a crack or puncture in the sole or hoof. After gaining access to the sensitive tissue, bacteria attract white blood cells that form pus as they accumulate. When more white blood cells are drawn to the area to fight infection, pressure of the accumulating pus separates the sensitive tissue from the hoof or sole to which it is attached. This causes extreme pain as a pocket of pus forms between the sensitive and hard tissues of the foot. The veterinarian can use hoof testers to identify the abscess general location then he or she might pare (thin the sole) the foot to try to identify cracks or tracts that will help in both pinpointing and draining the abscess pocket. When thinning the sole to find the best area to drain the abscess, if tiny red specs appear on the surface of the sole as it s thinned, this indicates the capillaries in the tips of the papillae have been cut and that no further thinning of the sole should be done in that area, because the sensitive tissue that nourishes the sole is still well attached and no abscess fluid has accumulated there. If an abscess is present in the area where the sole is pared, pus will drain before any tiny red specs appear. Once the pocket has been pinpointed, lightly sedating the horse and possibly using nerve blocks to dull the pain in the foot will ensure the horse is comfortable when the veterinarian drains the abscess. Once the abscess has been drained, lightly pack the abscess hole with a gauze sponge soaked in povidone iodine (i.e. Betadine) before applying a diaper boot to keep the open wound clean and debris-free. Keep the horse confined to a stall and change the bandage and evaluate the wound every other day, as additional debridement might be needed to keep the healing process moving. It is extremely important to keep the sole defect completely protected as it heals to prevent debris from entering and causing an infection of the coffin bone. When the wound has been dry and free of exudates for several days, the sole can be packed with pine tar-impregnated gauze and a shoe with a full pad applied. Keep the pad in place for about six weeks to allow suitable sole to redevelop in the thinned or abscessed areas. The horse can resume full work as soon as the shoe and pad is applied. Article courtesy of www.thehorse.com
Page 5 NAGS POLO SHIRTS Lois is now taking orders for NAGs Polo Shirts. Why not display your club colors at future Members Days? Shirts are $35 each and sizes are quite generous (ie. If you are normally a size 12, a 10 should suffice!) Please contact Lois on loiswattis@gmail.com to place and order or if you have any questions. Lois can also arrange to have the logo embroidered on your saddle cloth for approx $15. CONTRIBUTIONS for the NEWSLETTER Have you got an article, story, photo or announcement that you would like to share, we would LOVE to hear from you! Please send all contributions to susan.wettenhall@y7mail.com
Page 6 NAGs Event Calendar 2013 2 June 2013 NAGS Members Social Dressage Program now available 14 July 2013 NAGS Associate Training Dressage 18 August 2013 NAGS Official & Associate Dressage & Kim Flavelle Memorial Award for riders U 16 yrs 8 September 2013 NAGS Associate Training Dressage 28-29 September 2013 NAGS Two* Sunshine Coast Dressage Champs Official, Associate and Freestyles George Birch Freestyle Award & Clem Kelly Freestyle Encouragement Award ( AGs Members) Divisions 1 & 2 at this event. 20 October 2013 FUTURITIES ( ovice, Medium, Elementary & PSG) and NAGS Associate Training Dressage 17 November 2012 NAGS Members Social Dressage OTE: Performances by members at AGS Official and Associate events accrue points toward Highpoint Leaderboard Awards at all levels. Refer to the rules for eligibility criteria. * AGS Social Dressage Days and Futurities do not accrue points on the AG s Leaderboard. Results and Leaderboards The results from the Associate Training Day (30th March) are now up on the website! Also, check out the current Associate and Official leaderboards and see how riders are going.