By April Clay

Question:

I often end up frustrated after finishing with my rounds. I am always left wanting to have done better, but not knowing how. I feel like I am meeting none of the goals I have set for myself.

As you can imagine, this feels awful! Even worse, some people around me tell me my attitude is not that good. They say I tend to look grouchy a lot, and don’t smile very much. I am afraid they are probably right, but try as I may I cannot seem to feel good about the results I am getting. Can you help?
continue reading "Getting “Unstuck”"

By Sonia Meyer, Executive Director

In January 2007, the Alberta Horse Trials Association (AHTA) launched its High Performance Eventing Program with a goal to support high performance athletes and their coaches through to international levels of competition.

To this end, we worked with the AEF and were successful in receiving a grant from the Alberta Sport and Recreation Foundation with matching funds from AHTA towards hiring a HP coach for the program.

We are extremely excited to announce that we have hired Lorraine LaFramboise as our high performance eventing coach for the next year. Lorraine brings a tremendous depth of experience both with eventing and show jumping and we feel very privileged that she has agreed to help us develop the AHTA High Performance Eventing Program.
continue reading "High Performance Eventing Program - Alberta Equestrian Federation"

Dear Alpha Mare,

I need some help with my Arab. He won’t do a slow trot or a slow lope. As soon as I ask for it, he turns on the speed (I used to use him in endurance racing, but I have quit that sport).

I think I messed him up by racing him so he doesn’t know anything but fast. I have been emailing trainers but no one responds. I’m getting discouraged because I don’t want to ride him as it is so uncomfortable. I just need to know what to do so I can have a relaxed ride. I hope you can help me soon, as the summers are short!

Hot To Trot in Alberta
continue reading "Ask the Alpha Mare - A State of Calm"

by Marcia King

There’s a reality show that airs on BBC America called Life Laundry. It’s all about folks who tend to keep a lot of clutter piled up and lying around in big, sloppy messes in their houses or apartments.

Then our team of heroes arrives, sorting between what’s important and that which is no longer useful, disposing of the discards, and picking up, tidying up, and restoring order to the universe (or at least, to that particular premises for that particular week).

I think some horse owners could use a team like that at their horse farms, to come in and pick up the junk that risks horse injury and to clean up that which fosters horse disease. I would call that program Extreme Makeover, only I think someone else already has dibs on that title.
continue reading "A Clean Sweep - A Fall clean up guide for your barn and property"

By Teresa van Bryce, Manager HIAA

The fall season is upon us and we in the horse industry all know what this means: big competitions, horse sales, trade shows… and furry horses.

September alone sees the Spruce Meadows Masters, the Canadian Supreme, and the Western Regional Dressage Championships, to name but a few.

The Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society held its annual yearling sale on August 28 at Northlands. The sale was a great success with 141 horses offered and 112 sold for a total of over $1.2 million and an average of $11,016. The top selling horse sold for $60,000.
continue reading "October 2007 Eye on the Industry - Horse Industry Association of Alberta"

By Reining Canada Communications

continue reading "Reining Canada - October 2007"

by Marcia King

“Popped knees” is a layman’s term for enlargement in the front of the carpal joints of a horse. The knee looks like it has “popped out.” Sometimes this is accompanied by marked lameness, sometimes not.

“The enlargement at the front of the knees is usually from the enlargement of the synovial structures: the three tendons that go over the front of the knees, these two joints, and one bursa between the tendon and the joints,” explains Barrie Grant, DVM, Diplomate American College of Veterinary Surgeons, San Louis Rey Equine Hospital, Bonsall, California.

“Inflammation in any of those three structures will cause an enlargement to the front of the knee and therefore give the appearance that the knee has popped.”
continue reading "Popped knees explained"