Partnered with Ammy Owner Probs founder and guest collaborator Colleen Chartier

In today’s discussion on horse and rider fitness and development, a recently popular (and infinitely relevant) topic has been on horse and rider biomechanics and balance. In layman’s terms, biomechanics is the study of the forces that affect movement of the body. It examines how muscles, bones, tendons and ligaments operate together for a horse to walk, passage or perform lateral movements. The understanding of proper biomechanics, particular to equestrians, is essential in realizing their horse’s athletic potential and pinpointing areas of weakness or instability, whether internal or external.
Examples of internal forces are condition and actions of bones, muscles, tendons, and/or injury while external forces can include elements both related and non-related to the horse’s body such as hoof condition, footing, proper saddle fit, and rider position and balance.

Equestrian Riders

As riders, we understand the challenge and requirements to best support our horses during regular training sessions, competition, and beyond. These metrics can be quantified by our range of movement, increase of weight during our gym sessions, and lung conditioning. Other external forces that can positively impact our own conditioning are our choices of diet, sleep conditions, stress reduction, and intentional mindfulness in our daily living.

In today’s world, the continuous cycle of self-improvement can be monitored by a variety of modern-day technology. We use devices like a Fitbit or Smart Watch to monitor our physical activity, check our heart rate, a variety of apps to track our nutrition, and can record our riding sessions with devices like Pivo to visualize progress in real time.

Riding Tools

The latest development to improve equine and rider biomechanics and partnership is the Equestic Saddleclip. Regardless of your riding ability, goals, or discipline, this handy device makes training sessions more effective with real-time, factual data to monitor progress, pinpoint imbalances, and help riders become better advocates for their horses. The Equestic will provide insight into regular training and conditioning
habits as well as the impact it has on the impulsion, symmetry, and rhythm of the horse.

Testing the Eqeuestic Saddleclip

I was able to test the Equestic Saddleclip on a developing dressage sporthorse, Max, a 12 year old Percheron-Thoroughbred Cross to see how easy this device was to use and record our session. The set-up was super simple, I charged it via USB in my car on the way to the barn and was quickly able to sync it to the app. The Equestic app allows multiple horses to be added including their basic specs like breed, discipline, and age. It doesn’t have any wires or annoying plug-ins, simply clip on the left rear side of your saddle pad, calibrate with the app, and off you go!

For our 30 minute ride, I wanted to focus on balance and consistency in rhythm through my walk and trot and balance in my canter through transitions. Max’s tendency is to favor his left shoulder when asking to bend right through his body or push off his hocks. As a developing dressage prospect, balance and straightness are imperative to his
success.

Results

When our session concluded, it was really helpful to know how much time I was spending on each side and at each gait. It did make me feel good that I was only 1 minute off in the left vs right side work but it was useful to know how much time we spent in our canter work. Max is still building straightness and impulsion at the faster gait, and being half-draft it’s a lot of work! This will allow me to monitor his fitness
progression as he continues to get stronger, eventually increasing the time we get to work on the canter together.

I was surprised to see that he favored the left side, especially on his rhythm and push off in the trot. Diagonally left, Max was pretty consistent in his rhythm with only 7% variance and 1% in his landing (almost perfectly balanced), while his push off was moderately severe at 12%. This means that the level of impulsion was greater on his left
side versus his right as a result of not being properly straight and in greater balance.

Long Term Use

Using the Equestic on a regular basis will allow that progress to be tracked and an opportunity during lessons and regular riding to evaluate my rider position and own areas of weakness to see if I’m part of the issue. If no improvement shows, the next step would be to work with my saddle fitter, vet, farrier, and chiropractor. What a helpful
tool to collectively gather so much useful information, all in one place!

Over time, riders will be able to track their horse’s progress and rhythm to find how it compares to other horses in similar disciplines.

The Equestic Saddleclip will be a secret weapon when it comes to the regular riding, rehabilitation, and development of any horse I work with in the future. As a millennial who lives in the latest and greatest technology, it is so valuable that the equine industry is able to combine age-old methods of correct training and conditioning with modern-day advancements. Collectively, I look forward to being able to pinpoint potential lameness sooner than when it becomes a problem, create more specific goals in my rides, and share the same level of involvement as I do with my own personal fitness with my horses. For any horse person that wants to invest in their horse’s entire wellbeing and overall health, the Equestic Saddleclip is a little device that provides some massively helpful insight.

Enjoy the ride,
Colleen Chartier / Ammy Owner Probs

I had the opportunity to try the Equestic a few weeks ago and I leapt at it!  I’ve been wanting to see it in action since being told about it by one of my clients a few months ago.  I can honestly say I was impressed! 

The app was easily downloaded to my android phone through the app store. The pairing between my phone and the clip was quick and easy too.  I can ride with my phone while reviewing data live. Or let it download after the ride for a more detailed data analysis. 

The battery life is fantastic, allowing me to do multiple rides in a day, several days in a row.  The Equestic is always ready to go as there is no on/off button to worry about.  The data recorder for each ride regarding footfalls, how long I spent in each direction and gait, symmetry of the gaits and more is mind blowing.  I can’t wait to dive deeper into what it all means and how to use it to improve my training rides. 

Each ride tab has a place where I can add notes about what was worked on or other ride specific info.  If you are a trainer, the Equestic presents an opportunity to glean more information about your horses/rides.  If you are rehabbing a horse this tool helps you keep track of the strikeoff, symmetry and landing of the stride of each side of the horse.

The Equestic is great for amateurs that want to know more about their rides with an easy way to monitor info on their phone!

Written by Sponsored Rider, Sarah

Everyone has favorite grooming products, especially for colder days to make grooming and care easier. I have three levels of grooming fun (chaos) with my geldings every fall and spring. I have an older chestnut (easiest to keep clean), an older grey (who sleeps on his poop) and a young handsome bay pinto with four white legs that he somehow manages to keep clean.

Topicals

I have a few go-to products when the leaves start turning. Surprisingly, one of them is the dac Citronella Spray. With 40 degree mornings, one would assume the flies and gnats are gone, but by noon and the temperatures more in the 60’s, fly spray is still essential. I like the light scent and weight of this spray. It’s not strong enough to use on them in the humid summer, but it’s perfect as a light coat spray to keep the remaining insects away.

My absolute favorite product (magic in a bottle as I call it) is the E3 Waterless Argan Oil Shampoo. It’s perfect for spot cleaning (poop-napping grey horse), coat conditioning when full baths aren’t possible and keeps the skin and coat healthy without stripping away body oils. In fact – it adds shine and moisture to the coat and that helps to avoid static shock when changing turnout sheets.

A final product I like to use in the colder weather grooming is the Vetrolin Detangler gel. A very little amount goes a long way in keeping manes and tails free of tangles, dirt and briars. I also wrap tails when the wet season hits my area and this helps make the braiding and wrapping process easy.

Brushes

I always have a Tiger’s Tongue sponge in my grooming tote, around in the barn, in the bathing supply bucket – it’s that incredible! I start all grooming sessions with the Tiger’s Tongue to help break up dried mud and get the first wave of dirt removed. It’s gentle, easy to mold to whatever part of the body I’m working on and lasts a long time before needing replaced.

I am pretty biased when it comes to brushes – almost every other body brush in my grooming tote is a Haas Brush. I work out more dirt by using the Welsh Body Brush, followed by the Schmuseburste Body Brush. The last and arguably my favorite brush is the Diva Finishing Brush. It leaves the coat so silky soft. The most frequent question asked about this brush is “is it worth it”. And without a doubt, yes.

For brushing manes and tails after applying some detangler, I really prefer styles like the Oster Mane & Tail Brush. They are designed to prevent hair breakage and be as gentle as possible. I always hold the entire tail halfway down (under the tail bone) and start from the bottom up. This is the kindest way to work out tangles without pulling directly on the tail!

Medical and Special Use

Having medical supplies or just special case scenario items is always a good thing to keep on hand. One item I like to keep year-round is the Vetericyn Plus Eye Wash. My chestnut gelding gets weepy eyes in any climate – the bugs in the summer flair it up, the snow in winter causes discomfort.

I work with my vet and he is treated annually for sinus congestion along with prescribed ointment, but I can usually stop a flair up in it’s tracks if I flush his eyes as soon as I notice a slight change. It’s always good to have an eye wash ready for any horse!

The Vetoquinol Derma Gel is a new found favorite this year. I previously used a different product for bug bites near the sheath, legs and in ears. While I liked the results, it would wear off in a day or tangle up the ear fuzz. I tried Derma Gel on a whim and was blown away by the results. It creates a breathable barrier over the wound to allow it to heal, while accelerating tissue regeneration. I spray it over any and all wounds now – bug bites in ears, bite marks (gotta love those geldings), sheath protection and healing – the list goes on! It’s small size makes it easy to use in more sensitive areas or keep on the go.

The last on my list is the Horseshoers Secret Hoof Sealant. I use hoof conditioners all year, but I especially like the Hoof Sealant when used in moderation and effectively. It gets excessively muddy paddocks in the heavy rainfall months and I turn my horses out daily regardless of the weather. I use the sealant to help during those rain spurts to protect their hooves. It is a quick drying waterproof barrier that lasts several days. All three of my guys have come out of some really nasty months of moisture with nice feet – while it can be credited to several maintenance measures, the hoof sealant is a factor!

Written by Marketing Associate, Cassie

Lucas is a small quarter horse type that was purchased for rodeos.

He was having a lot of anxiety with the trailer and with the rodeo where was previously taken. He would thrash back and forth in the trailer, hitting his head on the side and pawing while throwing his body from side to side. When he arrived at the rodeo location, he would instantly get tense, paw and dig at the trailer. He also wouldn’t stand still, and started spinning when being mounted (which he had not done at other shows).

Lucas would get very reactive to other trailers driving by. We know it’s not just him since he makes his rider very nervous when he starts to get anxious. With direction in his warmup we can get him to focus enough to relax a little but his personality is very different than at other shows.

I felt as though in these situations he would be a great candidate for Zylkene since he had such a different personality at this rodeo compared to other venues, as well as assisting in his trailering anxiety. I was looking to see more relaxation on the trailer to set him up for a successful day and hopefully give him some confidence at this location.

Single Dose Packets

We used one packet hauling him to state fair tryouts just to give him some trailering ease. He enjoys this location and doesn’t have any existing anxiety like he does at the rodeo venue. We saw a noticeable difference in hauling. He hopped right on the trailer and only had one small bobble at a stop light on the way there. He stood fairly quiet the whole way to the show and came off calm and relaxed upon arrival.

Double Dose Packets

We used two packets leading up to the next rodeo since this venue is far worse in his reaction than at others. He hauled much better at a longer distance than when he traveled to state fair tryouts. Came off the trailer still a little bit anxious but far better than the last rodeo and did not come flying backwards out of the trailer. They walked him, let him graze, put on his magnetic sheet and he was as calm as can be. No pawing or digging at the trailer. Lucas stood quiet the whole time and napped at the trailer. He actually relaxed enough to stand there and munch on his hay which he would not do at the previous one.

Lucas also stood like a statue to be mounted instead of spinning around nervous and unwilling like the last time they came there. They had calm, consistent and clean runs all day! We saw no drag in performance and his stamina remained the same all while keeping his mind sharp. His owners are very pleased with the results of the Zylkene with Lucas. We saw a very positive substantial change on both dosages in two different atmospheres. We hope he continues to enjoy these rodeos more and more with the help of Zylkene!

Written by Cora, Showroom Manager

As part of safety awareness, I though it an opportune time to share the importance of safety cross country schooling. No, this isn’t just another article about helmet safety and wearing your body protector, or divulging all the recent trends in safety devices and scientific methods of calculating and mitigating risk (although I may touch on that!), but rather some “best practices” that are easy to overlook when we are in a hurry to “do all the things” and let’s face it, we are horse people so we are always in a hurry!

Speaking From Experience

First, a story. Recently, I had the occasion to be cross country schooling a horse that I had been riding for some time, has competed through Intermediate and 3* level, and was preparing to do its first Preliminary after a hiatus from the sport due to an injury. We had competed at several recognized Events already at Training level to get him back up and going, and he and I had schooled multiple times before and were “on the same page” as far as rideability and “seeing” the questions the same way.

My coach, with whom I have ridden with for many years, was putting us through various warmup exercises and the “wheels were on “… everyone was having fun and having a good school. On a downhill approach to a low wide roll top, my sometimes overly keen horse was in beast mode and as I worked to quietly steady him we ended up wrong and had a proper wipe out over the fence. I sat up and saw we were both
okay, albeit dirty, we checked over my horse, and I got back on and finished schooling and went on to successfully compete later that week.

Tack & Apparel Inspection

Back at the barn I inspected everything a bit more closely, as I do on a frequent basis, to ensure that all my equipment is safe and up to task, and found that there was a slight “fold” at the front of the skull of my UVEX Perfexxion helmet. My helmet was covered in dirt and grass was
stuck in it, and while I don’t believe I hit my head, there was a force great enough to crack the front of it. It was barely discernible and you could really only feel it with your finger.

When I removed the inner liner the helmet did not appear damaged anywhere else, but when I put pressure on it, there was a slight give. My helmet was definitely cracked, and it was so miniscule that a person would not even know it was there unless closely inspecting it. I immediately felt a sense of gratefulness that I was wearing a UVEX, because for one, it clearly prevented me from having a head injury, and two, that they have a replacement program for
instances such as this to help riders replace a damaged helmet in the event of a fall.

Rider Safety Practices

Everyone talks about “best practices” and had I not inspected my equipment after, I would have been riding around with a cracked helmet, putting myself at risk without even knowing I was doing so. Checking your equipment on a regular basis is of utmost importance, and I would
venture to guess that most of us don’t take the time to evaluate the wear and tear on all the tack we use on a daily basis.

We have all heard the stories of the rein or billet strap that broke mid ride, and how the rider inevitably made a miraculous escape from doom and kept their horse under control. I mean, all of us adrenaline junkies love a good story of wild chaos and how we thwarted disaster. But, maybe, just maybe we shouldn’t. Maybe we should check our bridles, stirrup straps, billets, helmets, boots (we’ve all had those zippers fail us time and again!), saddles, martingales and breastplates with the same care that we use when we go over our horse with a fine-tooth comb to make sure there is no bump, cut, swelling, or scrape on them.

Furthermore, we need to REPLACE these worn-out items because the cost of the replacement is much less than an injury that could be caused from a failed piece of equipment.

A few other best practices when cross country riding:

1. Know your venue. Check the place out and look before you leap. Check the take offs and landings at the fences to make sure they are safe and inviting.
2. Allow your horse time to relax. Event horses live for cross country. They love their jobs and most of them are looking for those goal posts at every fence. Give them time to settle down and get used to the area you are schooling in so that you are accessing their minds, and not using adrenaline to “get around”.
3. Warm up sufficiently. Get your horse working forward and back, turning and moving off the leg so they are thinking of rideability and really on the aids before jumping your first fence.
4. Jump smaller fences out of a normal canter and progressively work up to bigger jumps at a faster pace. Cross country jumps don’t need to be jumped at speed, and while we need to practice galloping and jumping, we also need to make sure that we are on the same page with our horse and work out any miscommunications or rideability issues over a smaller more forgiving obstacle at a normal rate of speed.
5. Don’t be afraid to call it day. None of us are perfect, we all have “off” days, and so do our horses. If you are having “technical difficulties” and not seeing eye to eye with your horse, get a few good jumps and call it a day. Don’t press on and try to do “all the things” just because you are trying to get ready for a competition. Try to work through the issues and then when you have a positive result stop there. Moreover, when schooling we don’t have to jump every jump, question, or combination out there. Pick something you want to work on just like you would when riding in the ring and tackle that item for the day.

Science & Technology For Safety

Thankfully science and technology is doing a lot to increase safety in the sport of eventing with innovations to obstacles, helmet and body protector design, course design, and rules to help keep us all out there competing and having fun. If we also employ a few of the best practices I
have discussed, I believe we can mitigate accidents and become better riders with more well trained, confident horses. Let’s do our part to keep ourselves, our horses and the people around us safe. Check your equipment regularly, and have fun out there schooling in a
responsible and thoughtful manner. Cheers!

Written by Sponsored Rider, Therese

Joint Health with Vetoquinol Flexadin Advanced

Flexadin Advanced’s unique formula helps to promote healthy cartilage as well as maintaining the integrity of joint overall. It is one of the few on the market that I can say has made a difference in my horse’s health. If you have picky eater when it comes to powdered supplements, the banana flavoring of this product is quite palatable! It’s also another unique ingredient that sets this product apart from the competitors.

A key ingredient used in this joint supplement is brand collagen (chicken cartilage). Through research and scientific studies chicken cartilage has been a proven and safe effective treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.   It also aids in the progression of pre-existing arthritis within the joint. Any horse can benefit from joint care supplements. Whether a show horse, broodmare or mature aging horse – supporting joint health is a common concern with many horse owners.

Most Unusual Art “Sunday”

Over the years I have probably tried close to 20 different joint products on my horses. I have a retired Quarter Horse that I had shown on the Quarter Horse circuit in Hunter Under Saddle as well as Jumping. I have owned him for 18 years of his life.  When he was only 8 years old, he was involved in a serious jumping accident that led him to 8 months of stall rest, lots of stitches and a lot of TLC along the way. Since he had so much trauma caused to his hind legs during his accident, I have always kept him on some type of joint supplement or anti-inflammatory. His one hind leg has quite a bit of scar tissue in it, and I’ve always battled a bit of swelling in it when he is stalled.

Since I put him on Flexadin Advanced  I have noticed a tremendous amount of improvement in his overall health. Flexadin Advanced is the only product that I feel has made him 100 % sound in his old age. I have noticed him running and playing more in the pasture then he used to. I know not all 25-year-old horses do that, so seeing this has really made me happy to see him feeling and moving so much better! He is not nearly as stiff as he once was.

Overall, I am very pleased with all this product has done for my horse. I will continue to use this on my boy for many years to come!

Written by Customer Service Associate, Sam