Sportaloosa
Photo by Terry Babic
issue 3, 2014
sportaloosa.com
Happy new year, everyone!
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Phew, 2014 is nearly done. Has it been this busy for you, too? Our $1,000 foal futurity was another cracking competition, with super foals entered and our global photo competition turned up some amazing photos of spotted horses. The best of those are in our annual fundraising calendar and our first run has sold out. Please let us know if you’re still keen for a 2015 calendar; if we get enough interest, we’ll do another print run. This year, Sportaloosa has been accepted as a breed by the well respected Pedigree Online All Breeds Database allbreedpedigree.com so we reckon we’ve come a long way! This is also the year in which we started planning our very first Sportaloosa show, to be held in 2015. We’ve kept growing in every way and our audience has increased massively, both in memberships and in interested onlookers. More and more, people are becoming aware of the benefits of owning a spotted horse, which in turn helps our breeders to sell and produce more so we’re proud to play a small part in keeping the breed thriving. How can you help? The greatest thing you can to is to take part. - Send in your hours in the saddle - Make sure you fill out your points sheets if you’re competing - Transfer your horse’s ownership if you sell or buy - Register your foals - Enter our competitions... one in particular - the annual foal futurity - has a $2,000 prize pool in 2015 (that’s for foals born in 2014/early 2015. It’s the kind of prize money you just don’t find anywhere else so please, get your foals nice and shiny and ask someone with a good video camera to film them! We’re looking forward to seeing the results. Merry Christmas and happy new year everyone!
Sa mantha & Petra
Young horse riding So you are excited getting your young horse back from the breakers, now what? Hopefully you should have had a ride on it at the breakers and been filled in what has been done.This young horse has only had a start meaning in the usual 6-8 weeks at the trainers he has been taught some fundementals but please remember this is not a trained horse in any sense,he has many miles to go yet! You must remember it takes hours of consistent work under saddle and patience to bring on ayoung horse so he is solid in his work and a safe talented allrounder under saddle. The aim in your work with the youngster is to produce a happy, willing saddle horse working in balance,willingly and obedient to your aids. At all times you need to have your horse’s attention,you need to be the leader teaching the horse what to do. If you aren’t experienced in bringing on a youngster, please find someone knowledgable to help you and observe your progress. This is recommended as it is easy to make mistakes of which you aren’t aware that could develop into real problems later and be difficult to change. As the young horse is still growing and changing you need to be mindful of that and not stress or over strain him.Check your saddle fitting as it might have to be changed as the horse
grows so not be uncomfortable and cause problems. Always make sure the bit is comfortable in the horses mouth and not too sharp or it will learn to carry itself behind the bit as an evasion. Each horse is different in character so you need to find out what sort of nature he has and
adjust your schooling accordingly.
harder work.
Never over feed your youngster as this can lead to all sorts of behavioural problems. Good grazing and hay should be fine, introduce hard feed if needed as the horse grows and is capable of taking
Don’t goof off! It is important to always observe and be aware what your horse is thinking at all times. This can keep you both out of trouble and nip a problem in the bud before it happens. Their attitude can be read in their eyes, ears and tail movements. A horse watches you a lot, this is part of the herd instinct. You shouldn’t wear sunglasses when working the horse on the ground as they then can’t see and read your eyes! Ok when riding. The ears tell you lots too. If in a neutral mode the horse is listening to you. If laid back, he’s not obeying, angry or going to ignore you. If pointing very forward especially with an arched
neck, watch out could be going to shy, spin take off or basically disregard you! Always make sure the horse is aware of you on both sides when riding.That they are looking at you. A horse can evade this and trick you, and end you up in trouble, as one day it suddenly has to look at you above and will get a fright,buck or bolt. A lot of riders even experienced ones don’t realise this and so aren’t consciously making sure the horse is bent correctly and seeing the rider both sides. Even in older so called educated horses you see them carry themselves so they are only watching the rider with the same eye.Every horse has two sides remember. One of the most common causes for a young horses frustration and eventual rebellion is that it does what the rider asks!! Yes, but sadly not what the rider wanted or thought she asked for. Basically the horse wants to do what you want so be very consistant and clear with your aids at all times so it can comply happily. If you constantly do the wrong asking and punish the horse you can shatter its confidence and he will sour and you will produce disharmony instead of the willingness you desire. The horse must learn to balance under the rider in all paces and relax, If it is unbalanced it will be tense,evade and it’s muscles become tight and relaxation won’t be achieved.So you need to be very aware of your weight so you don’t lean and unbalance the horse. A youngster can be very wobbly to ride at times,make
sure you look up not at the ground and where you want to go, keeping to trot helps to balance the horse.If the horse is finding the work difficult go down a pace and ask again, don’t punish show it the way fairly. There are no hard and fast rules on the length of a riding/training session. A young horse can be warmed up on the lunge especially if feeling a bit fresh. A horse’s reward is the release of pressure,so we don’t use side reins as they don’t get a release. When mounting let the horse stand and relax and always test ‘the steering’ by asking it to give its head right and left correctly with no resistance before moving off.
The horse needs to be forward in all paces without restrictions on its mouth so it can relax and find its balance, this doesn’t mean faster but with more use of the hindquarters. A young horse should have as much variety as possible, not constant drilling in an arena. Find a buddy to go riding in the bush with. This does the world of good to the youngster’s mind, building confidence and improves its skill, relaxation and balance. Cavelletti and jumping small logs out bush improves skills, suppleness and prevents it from becoming one sided. See that the horse is supple and bent through the whole body not just the neck. Just bending the neck causes tension and wrong balance.
You will be rewarded with all your work by having developed a great partnership With the youngster the with your youngster and rider should have a soft have many years of enjoyment with him as contact or ‘waiting you both progress with hands’ and not try to education. force the horse ‘on the bit’ as this will lead to head shaking,mouthing You and your horse never stop learning, so always problems, tight back and unbalanced paces. remember that improving your skill and have fun.
Catching up with James Arkins
sports. After going for a trail ride at a local riding school I was hooked.
Sportaloosa International caught up with James Arkins recently to find out more about his showjumping career,especially now as he has been competing on 2 colourful spotted stallions.
Q.What attracted you to Showjumping? A. I have always been a bit of a thrill seeker and loved the adrenalin and challenge of jumping.
James is head rider at Rosthwaite farm, a beautiful training/breeding and agistment property at Moss Vale NSW. He is one of Australia’s top up and coming young jumping riders and trainers with his heart set no doubt on a future Olympic debut! Q.You are now training, preparing and competing on quite a team of successful showjumpers,Where did your interest in horses begin? A. I was lucky enough to have parents that exposed me to a lot of different activities and
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James aboard Bling Du Rouet
Beside, I did not have the discipline for dressage and nor did my first horse Dreamtime Invader, who kicked started my career, taking me through juniors to world cups and then went on to compete internationally. Q.You made yourself noticed this season when you competed on two colourful stallions, Bling Du Rouet and Loris Flashpoint Af Lyn. Do you get many comments about this? A. Both phenomenal stallions. Where ever I go people ask about them. They are both jumping machines, and Bling is currently
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one of the most competitive young horses in Australia.
Last season he saw around 20 mares and they are all currently dropping foals. Looking very flash and super types.
Q.Men are usually less likely to go buy something that stands out from the crowd, especially in showjumping disiplines. What did you like about Bling that made you buy him? What made you say ‘I need that horse on my team’?
We are having another big season this year, trying to fit breeding in with his competition engagements.
A. His colour is what initially caught my eye. But there was more to it then that. Not only was he striking, he has a world class pedigree and fantastic temperament to top it off.
A. Not really, he is just so quiet and easy to handle, absolute pleasure to have around. By far my easiest horse to ride and always tries 100%.
Q.Does Bling have any unusual/ funny habits?
James and Lori’s Flashpoint Af Lyn
Not only making him a fantastic athlete but a commercial sire as well.
Q.What do you look for when choosing a jumping horse?
Q.What has been Blings best performance to date? A. Good question. He has had so many. Most recently he won the Section 3 Grand Prix and the Speed Title at Melbourne Royal show.
A. Depends whether it is a young horse or a going horse. In a young horse, type comes first. Then pedigree. Ideally uphill, short in the back, not to heavy, ideal height being 16.2-16.3hh, good canter, light across the ground, and a good brain, I personally prefer a horse with thoroughbred influence, with a natural engine but not too hot.
Q.Bling is by one of the most influencial jumping sires Balou Du Rouet and now classified with the ACE warmblood group. What breeding plans have you for him? A. He truely has a world class pedigree. Balou Du Rouet is producing some of the best showjumpers in the world ATM.
In a going horse, I look at performance, must be careful, even if technique isn’t great. You can always teach a careful horse, it wants to learn how to jump better as it doesn’t want to hit rails.
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Q.what is a typical day for you and how many horses would you ride? A. No such thing as a typical day, that’s what I love, always have different things happening, normally ride between 6-10 horses. Q.Who has influenced you most in your jumping career? A. Originally I was very much self taught, I worked for Julia Hargreaves and Chris Burton as a working pupil for 12 months and learnt a lot from them. Most recently Vaughn Jefferis from NZ has been a massive influence, and has really helped with the management side of things which is such a big part of it. Q.What plans have you for the future? A. I am very lucky to have an amazing team of horses at the moment. It’s hard to make plans with horses as so much can change in a short period of time. You can set goals but have to be prepared to re asses as you go. My major long term goal it to make an Australian team, looking towards Rio 2016. Short term, I have one experience World Cup horse and 3 young Grand Prix/World Cup horses, so will look at having a real crack at the World Cup series in 2015 and possibly take a horse to NZ in early 2015 to compete at there biggest shows. Exciting times ahead. Any thing could happen!
Q.What advice have you for young aspiring show jumping riders? A. Nothing is impossible it you believe in your self and work hard. I came from a non horse background, and through a lot of hard work and perserverence I am where I am today. Thank you for your time and we at Sportaloosa International wish you all the best for 2015. The first time Samantha had seen Bling since he left Cayuse as a foal.
Hot Weather and Horses Summer is here, plenty of sunny days now to get out and ride our horses. We must all be well aware that the hot and humid weather can cause our horses to overheat and can lead to the potentially deadly condition known as heat stress in horses. Like man, the horse is one of the only mammals that cools its body down by sweating, this wets the body so cooling can take place from evaporation, if this system breaks down we have serious problems. Make sure that young people riding and handling their horses and ponies know what to look for, as often they are unaware of what is happening to their mount until it is too late. Supervision is needed so they don’t overdo their horse. Horses that have been ‘cooked’, ie. seriously over heated, are more prone to heat stress in the future. Foals, especially very young ones haven’t good thermo-regulatory ability. In hot sun they can overheat simply standing still! Watch mares with foals in hot weather in case they become agitated, running fences, also at weaning time don’t let the youngsters run wildly in the heat. A serious condition can quickly develop in these youngsters. Old unfit horses are especially prone too and need to be kept cool in the heat.
Another area to be aware of is when traveling as some floats/trucks haven’t good ventilation in hot, humid weather, and the horse can quickly become stressed, especially on long trips without adequate access to water. Long trips in the summer are often better planned with night driving in the cooler hours. Excessive exercise on hot, humid days is a number one cause of heat stress. Horses that are overweight and not used to hard work are at greater risk. Symptoms of heat stress can be excessive sweating, breathing difficulties, the horse can even pant, have an erratic heart beat and thumps, stumbling, muscle weakness. It can become distressed and agitated, mucous membranes become dry and tacky, develops diarrhoea and colic signs and can collapse. If the horse becomes overheated immediately stop riding the horse, move it to a shady area with a breeze or use fans. Call a vet as the situation may quickly become an emergency. The vet may want to administer intravenous fluids and electrolytes. Hose the horse with cool water concentrating where the large blood vessels are located inside of the legs, head and neck and around the lower gut surface. Offer water, both plain and with electrolytes, letting the horse choose which it wants
to drink. If the horse won’t drink use a large syringe and water drench it to help lower its core temperature. In tropical areas that have very humidity a condition known as Anhydrosis is common. This is when the temperature regulatory system of the horse shuts down and it hardly sweats at all, sometimes just only under the mane and top of tail. The skin of affected horses becomes scurfy and tight and often hair loss occurs on the face. Because they can’t reduce their body heat they often puff and are very prone to become stressed, collapse and die. Sometimes the condition is so severe that the horse is incapable of any work. People can also be afflicted with this so you be careful on hot humid days too! So what to do to avoid getting heat stressed? Number one try to only exercise your horse before 9am, avoiding the heat of the day. Late afternoon/evening is good too. If you have to rug your horse use a light cotton rug only. Don’t use one made with synthetic as these can cook a horse quickly and ideally don’t use a rug. All yards and paddocks should have shade and ample fresh water. If the horse is stabled make sure there is plenty of ventilation and the water supply is checked three times a day. Horses generate a lot of heat when digesting feed, especially those on a high protein diet. So don’t ride or lunge a horse too close to feed time; leave at least an hour or two before you do or the added heat from excerise could tip the horse into a stress situation.
The most important factor is to make sure your horse is getting plenty of fresh water. One way to check if your horse is adequately hydrated is to pinch up the skin on its neck, it should lie down again quickly. If it stays up the horse needs water! You can also apply pressure to its gums, when you release the pressure the white spot should quickly become pink again, if not the horse needs water. If your horse has been heat stressed, make sure you give it time off and bring it back into work slowly and carefully. Using common sense we can all enjoy the hot summer months with our horses without heat stress.
Pine Row Dat’s A Goer (Johnny)
Cayuse Kingmaker (Nitro)
AGE: 12 HEIGHT: 16hh SIRE: Pine Row What A Goer DAM: Pine Row Who’s Dat OWNER: Carolyn Kitchener RIDER: Carolyn Kitchener Top achievements: Winning 4 AAA end of year Hi Point awards, Winning the 1st Silver Medal in the Sportaloosa awards and Winning the Hi Point Sportaloosa award. What Carolyn loves about Jonny: 1. Johnny tries so hard to do his best 2. He has the biggest character 3. He is cheeky like a16h pony always up to mischief! 4. Always looks after his rider 5. He is a great mate.
AGE: 6 this year HEIGHT: 16.1hh SIRE: Cayuse A Grand Illusion DAM: Cayuse Few Moon OWNER: Catriona & Lachlan McGufficke RIDER: Catriona McGufficke Major Achievements: Finished 2nd and 3rd at Intro EVA80 in Canberra Horse Trials. Very rarely out of the top half of the class in our events What Catriona loves about Nitro: 1. his personality 2. his heart 3. his spots 4. his huge bum 5. his willingness to try anything “After years of riding trackwork – with many plates, screws and breaks in my body – it’s a pleasure to be able to hope on my boy and know that he will try his best to keep me safe.”
Oregon Park Justin Affair
Dia mond F MM Grand Design (Dee)
AGE: 6 HEIGHT: 14.3hh SIRE: Ultimate Affair DAM: Ashfield Dream Mia Dream OWNER: Katie Petrusma (bred by Ev Lagoon) RIDER: Katie Petrusma Top achievements: 2014 VACS (Reserve Champion Youth Dressage) Other achievments would be all the gymkhanas and shows we have been to and the trust we have built up together as we grew up together (We know each other so well) What Katie loves about Juzzy: 1. His personality (Smoochy) 2. His dedication (he will always give me 110% unless it involves going through water) 3. His smell 4. His changing colour with each season 5. I love how he is so great with kids. (He knows as soon as I put a kid on him and he is just amazing) I have also seen him keep his head on the ground so a little girl could pat him. “I love all horses but Juzzy is something different.”
DOB 12/8/1998 HEIGHT: 15.1 hands SIRE: SPOT OF GRAND (IMP QH) DAM: PEACHES’N’CREAM WILL DEW OWNER: FRANCES ELLIOTT Top Achievements: EYA – Runner up English Performance Horse of Australia. Australian Breeders Classic – Winning her open Trail Class, a lovely run, once I had completed my ride, I went & unsaddled her as a reward (only to be recalled to the ring), to be named winner of the class. HUS Futurity winner as a 3yo at the Nationals-that particular year held at Dubbo- so we had the trains shunting to contend with, exciting times! What Frances loves about Dee: I love everything about ‘DEE’ – from the tip of her nose to the end of her lovely tail, her presence, her ability to change from a halter girl – to trail girl – to dressage girl (top dressage score 82.4% EV Novice), we both love the show prep, enjoying all the lovely comments from everyone (professionals & individuals) about her impeccable manners/nature and her lovely movement. To top that off being a perfect mum , looking after her foals keeping them as safe as she can. What a girl.
Cayuse F lash O’ Blue
Mighty Cayuse
AGE: 2 YEARS HEIGHT:14.3+ SIRE: Loris Flashpoint Alf Lyn DAM: Cayuse Scratch Me First OWNER: Aleksandra Jelaca RIDER: Aleksandra Jelaca once broken in
DOB: 16.07.1993 - Holland HEIGHT: 14 1/2hh
Top Achievements: She’s only a baby so still just working on the ground work and building a relationship Top 5 things Aleksandra loves about her Sportaloosa: 1. Sensible 2. Smart 3. Willing 4. Absolutely stunning to look at 5. Very friendly and affectionate
SIRE: Alex Van De Kamperweg DAM: Mackael Grey OWNER: Marianne Andresen RIDER: Marianne and her daughter Top Achievements: In Denmark he has competed FEI dressage with my daughter, and is also training light dressage with me and I am 53years old! He is an amazing horse!
Val Hogan
Mouthwatering Sportaloosas that perform
Breeder profile Article written by Chelsea Johnson
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Recently I talked to Val Hogan about her stud in Lara located in the S.E. corner of the You Yangs Regional Park. Lara is the home of Cayuse Dark Enchantment, standing at stud at Three V Performance Horses Stud. The stud is approximately ten minutes from Avalon Airport, 45 minutes from Melbourne’s CBD, and only 20 minutes from the National Equestrian Centre at Werribee, Victoria. Val Hogan grew up in a household of western fans watching movies like “Get Out Of Town ‘Afore I Gun Ya Down”, critiquing the riding style of the cowboys and cheering on the Indians. They often wondered about the unusual spotted horses that appeared in so many of the movies and loved the antics of Dear John, Slim Pickens’ Appaloosa. Val hankered after an Appaloosa for years until she finally convinced her father to breed one. Val’s family has always breed horses and ponies from Australian ponies to Welsh Mountain Ponies to improving the bloodlines of the Thoroughbred mares they used as stock horses. When her father agreed to breeding an appaloosa they travelled around Victoria looking at nearly 20 stallions though not one was up to their standards. “I was nearly resigned that it wasn’t going to happen…” Finally she heard about a horse that had just come out of quarantine and was standing at Lara, Victoria. Within the
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hour she was on the phone and on the road to visit. This Appaloosa became the foundation for their breeding program; an imported liver chestnut, white blanket, with varnishing, named “Jagady’s H”. “We admired our first Quarter horses but it is our Appaloosas who have captured our hearts”. When breeding an Appaloosa Val believes that it is important to look at conformation, then temperament. She looks at their form to function; does it have the form to be a comfortable, easy ride? If the horse does not have good conformation it is not a breeding prospect, if it does not have a kind temperament then again it is not a breeding prospect. As Val grew up working cattle she doesn’t mind a cow horse and she breeds to achieve this. “The conformation of a cow horse is the conformation that sets a horse up that it can do just about anything and do it well”.
‘Cayuse Dark Enchantment’ aka Mr Darcy is Three Vs current stallion. Val and Mr Darcy have been training and attending Reining, horsemanship, and dressage clinics ever since he was broken in. Originally Mr Darcy was trained for reining, he competed in NRHA events including the NSW Reining Horse Championships as a 6yr and drew an equal score to take, at the toss of a coin, Reserve Champion Novice Horse. They are now concentrating on Working Equitation which incorporates Dressage, trail (speed & style) and team penning which they both love! Working equitation is very big overseas and it is just starting to gain momentum in Australia. So far there are no official competitions only unofficial. Val is currently working to form a WE club in central Victoria and has begun to plan working equitation competitions. During this time Val has accomplished many goals and achievements these include: • Winning Get of sire at VACS two years running(the only years I had a show team) • Winning National Champion Produce of Dam with two young horses I bred from a mare I bred. • Seeing several of my youngsters go on to be champions. Three Vee Silver Bear went on to become an AAA Ltd. Australian Champion after gaining his points in Halter and Performance – and winning most of his classes in open company.
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Val aims to achieve national recognition for her stallion Cayuse Dark Enchantment, and prove to people that they don’t need to look to the USA for outcross stallions. Recently Val has had enquiries from several overseas breeders looking at buying his frozen semen for an ideal outcross for their mares. Sadly the cost of quarantine is extremely high and to make the project viable she needs at least 15 mares booked and paid for. Darcy has a kind temperament and a bubbly personality, his willingness to work with his rider tends to pass onto his offspring. “I absolutely love the sheer joy Cayuse Dark Enchantment shows when he’s working under saddle. He just brings a smile to my face!” Darcy loves to show off to an audience. He particularly likes to show his ladies how clever he is by balancing a plastic road cone on his nose, galloping a circle in his paddock and hooting out to the mares whilst watching them out of the corner of his eye for their reaction. It’s almost like he’s shouting, Watch me! Watch me! Of course the mares aren’t much interested in his antics – it’s the wheelbarrow of hay they’re watching for. In three years’ time Darcy will be 17 years old. Val would love to have several of his daughters retained for the stud. “I would love to see owners of his progeny taking them out and showing the world how great the Dark Enchantment progeny is!”
Just a handful of polos left We have just a few of our awesome, hard wearing and very classy Sportaloosa polo shirts left. Don’t miss out; they’re comfortable to wear, lovely fabric that breathes and they promote our fabulous spots!
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$36 posted within Australia Please ask about postage elsewhere. Email sa mantha@sportaloosa.com with your order Quantities and sizes - blue 1 x 10 1 x 14 2 x 16 2 x 18 1 x XL 2 x 2XL
Quantities and sizes - pink 1 x 16
Quantities and sizes - green 1 x XL