Recover from Intense Work Considerations for Training, Competition, Dietary Strategy and Supportive Therapy

Silva Martin Lessons with horse your Help Recover Recover Intense Work Intense Brought to you by from from

VOL. 22

Amy K. Dragoo

Lessons with

SilvaSeven lucky riders won a day of training at Windurra—home of Silva and Boyd Martin.

Story and Photos by Amber Heintzberger

Daphne Soares and six of her friends, including her son, traveled to Windurra for a day, spending the morning working on dressage with Silva Martin and the afternoon schooling cross country with Boyd Martin. Daphne and her off- the-track Thoroughbred, Anakin, are schooling Preliminary level in eventing.

3 DRESSAGE TODAY EXTRA | VOLUME 22 ho would you invite to join you if you and 10 of your clos- est friends had Wthe opportunity to spend a day with Grand Prix dressage rider Silva Martin and her three-day-eventer husband, Boyd? That’s a question Daphne Soares, of Long Valley, New Jersey, had the opportunity to answer when she won a contest sponsored by Dressage Today, Practical Horseman (DT’s sister publication) and Purina Horse Feed. The clinic took place at Boyd and Silva’s farm, Windurra, in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, in September (2016). Silva is a Grand Prix dressage rider who represented the United States on the gold-medal-winning team at the 2014 Nations Cup in Wellington, Florida, and Boyd is a member of the U.S. Eventing Team and competed in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Daphne and six of her friends traveled to Windurra for the day, spending the morning working on dressage with Silva and the afternoon schooling cross country with Boyd. (You can read about the cross-country portion of the clinic at PracticalHorsemanMag.com. Search Boyd Martin, Daphne Soares.) Over lunch Boyd told stories about his Olympic experience and then gave everyone a tour of the eventing barns to meet some of his world-class event horses, including Blackfoot Mystery, Welcome Shadow, Crackerjack, During the dressage session with Daphne, Silva encouraged Daphne, who tended Shamwari, Remington XXV and to lean a little too forward, to stay behind Anakin’s movement with her upper Neville Bardos. body. Silva also encouraged Daphne to move Anakin’s shoulder’s in. “You want Daphne, a professor of evolutionary less bend, a steady rhythm and the shoulders in,” she said. neurobiology at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, attended the clinic with her off-the-track-Thoroughbred gelding, level with his pony, Lovee. the outside of the ring, then adding Anakin, whom she bought as a 2-year- During her time with these riders, some circles and bending exercises at old. Together, the pair competes at the Silva focused on the basics. She began the walk, trot and canter. Then she Preliminary level in eventing. Daphne’s each session by letting the riders go asked the riders to begin suppling their son, Tzur Haspel-Soares, who also through their typical warm-up routine, horses before practicing their respective attended the clinic, competes at Novice first riding the horses forward around dressage tests.

4 DRESSAGE TODAY EXTRA | VOLUME 22 Session 2 Riders Jen Garutti, of Flemington, New Jersey, is an IT project manager for a financial services firm, Pony Club DC, an active event rider, wife and mother of two. She grew up in New England active in Pony Club and has evented through Preliminary level. She took an 11-year hiatus from riding while her kids were little and got back into eventing in 2015. Her Connemara/Quarter Horse pony mare, Labras Leannon, was the highest-placed pony at Daphne’s son, Tzur, competes at Novice level in eventing with his pony, Lovee, the 2016 American Eventing and really wants to ride a musical freestyle. Silva said that getting Lovee Championships (AEC). more forward and supple will help Tzur score extra points with the attractive little mare. Rumsey Keefe, of Sandy Spring, Maryland, is a stay-at- Session 1: Tzur and Lovee energy. “When your mare gets a home mom with an eye-catch- Tzur is working on the U.S. Equestrian little nappy, ride her forward again. ing off-the-track Thorough- Federation Training Level dressage tests, Push your seat down and open your bred, Eighttofasttocatch, who and he really wants to ride a musical shoulders,” Silva coached. won just over $1 million as a freestyle. His pony, Lovee, is a willing Tzur hoped to ride Lovee to Michael racehorse racing from age 2 to partner, but Silva said that getting her Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” for his 9, including winning the Mary- more forward and supple will help Tzur freestyle, which he practiced after land Million Classic three years score extra points with the attractive someone cranked up the music from in a row. They placed second little mare. a car stereo so he could give it a run- in Beginner Novice at the AEC, Silva had Tzur work on holding the through. But Silva suggested that he and she planned to move him inside bend, pushing with his inside go back to the drawing board and find up to Training level this fall, leg and leg yielding to the outside music that better suits his pony’s gaits. then Preliminary next year. of the arena to push Lovee into the “You would think the canter is fast and Eventually her daughter, Ryan, outside rein. She also had him work that you need faster music, but really will start competing him. on keeping the bend through his turns the canter needs slower music,” she and using lots of changes of direction explained. “I don’t think this song will Deena Cahill, who leases to supple Lovee. work for you.” her horse, is competing at Silva believes that Tzur has an By the end of his lesson, Tzur was Beginner Novice and recently excellent position but needs to sitting tall and proud in the saddle and moved up to Novice. They remember to sit tall in the saddle to smiling as he rode. Silva was duly im- are schooling First and make his seat more effective. This also pressed with the progress he made. “He’s Second Level dressage. They will help him present a more polished a very good rider. There wasn’t too much placed 10th at the AEC in the picture. “Sit down, push your seat into to improve on,” she said. She went on to Beginner Novice division. the saddle and keep your heels down,” say jokingly, “He’d better keep an eye on she said, at which point Lovee’s ears that pony though or I’ll be stealing her went back and she lost her forward for [her son] Nox!”

5 DRESSAGE TODAY EXTRA | VOLUME 22 FROM LEFT: Rumsey Keefe, Jen Garutti and Deena Cahill rode together in a session with Silva. The group warmed up with a walk, trot and canter in both directions. During this time, Silva asked the riders to focus on riding the horses forward and straight.

Session 2: Jen Garutti, Rumsey leg, no drifting to the outside. Open the leg without any drift,” said Silva. “You Keefe and Deena Cahill shoulders, pushing the withers up.” want a steady, even contact with the First Silva asked the group to warm up as Next, shortening the reins, riders horse’s mouth, no loop or slack in the usual and watched the horses and riders began putting the horses together in rein. Think about keeping his shoulders walk, trot and canter in both directions. a more collected outline. “Keep the to the inside on the circle.” She told each rider to go forward and hands down and ride forward and up At the medium walk, she said, straight, not sideways, in the beginning, from your seat,” said Silva. “When you “Play with the bit in the transition emphasizing that the horses needed to ride forward, be careful not to push the to keep his mouth soft, gently moving push under with their hind end and horse past the steady rhythm. The horse it in his mouth with your fingers to that the riders shouldn’t let the horses’ should feel very even and consistent in keep him supple without moving his hindquarters trail behind. During the his stride.” head. You don’t want to see-saw the bit warm-up, Silva suggested that the riders Finally, each rider schooled her back and forth, just keep softening it in try to touch the saddle pad with their dressage test. Rumsey, schooling his mouth.” little finger to keep their hands down Training Test B, focused on consistency. And on the stretching circle, she and steady as the horses were still “Make sure you have the right trot suggested, “Open your shoulders and working in a fairly low outline. for the test. Down the centerline we try not to lean forward with him. After a warm-up focused on getting want the same trot the whole way, Before the diagonal trot, try to get the horses forward and warming not five different trots,” said Silva. him together, and then push. The their muscles, the riders walked a few “The judges should only see two legs beginning of the test was great, then minutes to give their horses a breather. from the front if the horse is straight. you lost accuracy a bit. Let’s practice Then they started trotting circles and You want to feel as if he’s in a tunnel the walk again.” serpentines, beginning to supple the between both reins and won’t hit either On the trot diagonal, Rumsey’s horse horses in both directions. side of that tunnel. Stay tall and look broke to canter. Silva said, “OK, still As the riders began to supple the where you’re going.” send him forward. On the short side horses, Silva said, “Bend them to the This test includes 20-meter circles in focus on the push, then on the diagonal inside and catch them with the outside both directions. “You want your horse allow him forward, which will help you aids. Bend the horse around the inside to make a round circle around the inside keep your rhythm better.”

6 DRESSAGE TODAY EXTRA | VOLUME 22 A Meaningful Collaboration Though they compete in separate disciplines, Boyd and Silva Martin are a team in life and work, and they help each other bring the best out in all of the horses at Windurra, regardless of discipline. Cross- training over fences and in the open helps Silva’s dressage horses become brave and more athletic, and Silva is able to fine-tune Boyd’s event horses’ dressage training to give them an edge in eventing competition. The young dressage horses school in the arena only two or three days each week. Boyd and his assistant riders or Silva’s working students might take them out across the fields, through streams and up hills and across uneven terrain at a good Rumsey planned to move her OTTB, Eighttofasttocatch, up to Train- strong trot. Another day Boyd will set up ing level in the fall, then Preliminary. Eventually her daughter, basic jumping exercises—just a few small Ryan, will start competing him. fences or some grid work to keep them thinking and moving their feet and give Jen was riding Training Test B and again Silva encouraged her to them a change from the dressage arena. play with the bit in the transitions. For the lengthening at the trot she They’ll also take the horses out hacking on said, “Before the corner take up the reins and then allow your horse hard roads to build bone density and to get to lengthen across the diagonal. Go! Get her a little rounder so she them used to the sights and sounds off the doesn’t fall apart halfway through.” farm so they are more settled in the busy Deena trotted boldly down the centerline, but overshot X for her atmosphere at horse shows. halt. “You can’t miss the half halts. You need to ride little half halts Silva often schools Boyd’s horses as to balance him,” said Silva. “You also need to slow down for the part of their regular training program, and transition instead of gunning it into the halt. Keep your leg on, but when one of them needs a little “dressage don’t go too fast.” boot camp,” she steps it up by schooling Silva elaborated, “Deena likes to ride forward, which is good, but the horse herself for a week or two or she needs little half halts to get a little suspension/air time in the helps Boyd from the ground. Before a medium trot, which she can achieve with little half halts every stride. major event she’ll dedicate extra time to Sitting up taller and closing the hand and leg will help balance the helping him work through the movements horse and bring him together.” of a test, fine-tuning the horse’s training and Boyd’s riding, and focusing on Session 3: Daphne Soares, Nancy Seybold and Ryan Keefe accuracy so they don’t give any points The format for this session was the same as for the second group with away. Cross-training not only gives Boyd the early warm-up focused on getting the horses forward, then adding and Silva’s horses a competitive edge, it circles and serpentines to supple the horses. Nancy’s horse is heavyset keeps things fun and interesting for both and has a big, strong neck. He loves to stiffen his topline and carry horses and riders and builds partnerships his neck too high, so Silva had Nancy working on encouraging him to across disciplines. relax through his neck and back. “He’s a big horse and so uphill that he gets a little hollow sometimes,” Silva said. “Think about dropping the base of the neck. That’s the bridge to the back, and you want to keep the back up. As you add in bending lines and circles, keep

7 DRESSAGE TODAY EXTRA | VOLUME 22 Jen’s Connemara/Quarter Horse pony mare, Labras Lean- Ryan Keefe and her Cleveland Bay mare, Secret, are com- non, was the highest-placed pony at the 2016 American peting at Training level. Ryan plans to sell Secret to begin Eventing Championships. riding her mom’s OTTB. pushing the base of the neck down.” chose a great bunch of friends and we you are riding a test. There’s no point Daphne tends to lean too far had a lot of fun working with them!” throwing points away. Most of the time forward on her young horse, and Silva As a final suggestion she said, “Another you have control of accuracy while encouraged her to stay behind the thing that everyone should remember there are plenty of other things that are movement with her upper body. “Keep is that accuracy is very important when less in your control.” your leg by the girth, not too far back, and move the horse’s shoulders in—if you move the haunches out, he curls around too much. You want less bend, a Session 3 Riders steady rhythm and the shoulders in.” Daphne Soares rode her OTTB Anakin. She got him off the track as a Silva offered comments as riders 2-year-old, and they are schooling Preliminary level eventing. warmed up. “Ryan, keep her rounder before the canter to get better transitions. Nancy Seybold, of Washington, DC, works as an information architect Nancy, keep your hands steady, no loop on public health and biomedical/health info websites. She grew up riding in the reins.” hunter/jumpers but has been eventing for more than 10 years, competing As in the previous session, the riders through Preliminary level. She hopes to compete again at Preliminary went through their tests and Silva with her current horse, a Percheron/Thoroughbred cross currently going critiqued their rides. She suggested that Training level. “I hope to grow old and gray doing dressage and galloping in the free walk, Daphne encourage her through the woods with my husband,” she said. horse to take long, slow steps, not just walk faster. To Nancy, she said, “Keep Ryan Keefe, of Sandy Spring, Maryland, is a high school student. Her him between the reins and legs, leg on mare, Secret, a Cleveland Bay, is her first horse after moving up from a and eyes ahead. In the free walk get that pony and the pair is competing at Training level. Ryan has fox-hunted neck as low as possible.” and Pony Clubbed in addition to eventing and plans to sell Secret to begin At the end of the sessions, Silva riding her mom’s OTTB. said, “They’re all nice horses, and we enjoyed the group of riders. Daphne

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VET ON CALL

Help Your Horse Recover From Intense Work Considerations for training, competition, dietary strategy and supportive therapy

What is the best way Dietary strategies like choice of feed tendon integrity and cardiovascular to help my horse and supplements can have a big effect tolerance) but it also works on a cellular recover after a chal- on recovery. And supportive therapies level to fine-tune the way a horse gener- lenging training ses- can be implemented after training to ates and consumes the very important sion or competition? optimize a horse’s recovery. fuel glucose—what we think of as Q Proper Conditioning. The steps to sugar—that is needed for exercise. By optimal recovery for a horse actually maintaining a consistent training pro- There are steps a rider begin well before the training session gram, your horse will not only perform can take both before and itself. For example, make sure that your better in competition, but his recovery after exercise to help horse has been properly conditioned will be smoother and there is reduced his or her horse recover for the level at which he is training and likelihood of illness or injury. from an intense train- competing. Physical training at a level Nutrition. How you feed your horse Aing session. For example, consistent that is about 80 percent of the intensity can influence his ability to successfully training in the lead up to competition of the targeted event helps to not only train at intense levels. While glucose and the approach to the warm-up promote fitness in the typical ways we is typically the primary energy source, will positively influence recovery. think (muscle strength, ligament and muscle tissue can also learn to use other resources such as fat metabolites for energy at maximal intensity. For this to occur, it requires feeding a diet higher in fat and lower in starch. Over time the muscle cells develop pathways to break down the added fat, especially in times of maximal exertion. Timing of meals, as well as choice of feed prior to exercise, can influence a horse’s performance and recovery. Because of complex interrelation- ships between the muscle cells and hormones such as insulin, a horse will be better able to provide energy to his muscles if he is fed a lower-sugar-con- tent meal more than three hours prior Maintaining a consis- to exercise. On the other hand, large tent training program meals prior to exercise cause a shift of will help your horse fluids within the horse’s body that can perform better in make it harder to maintain adequate competition. It also will hydration during exercise and create help his recovery and increased weight and possibly interfere reduce the likelihood with lung expansion. A forage-based meal that is under three pounds fed

AMY K. DRAGOO of illness or injury.

10 DRESSAGE TODAY EXTRA | VOLUME 22 VET ON CALL

two to three hours prior to exercise is a electrolytes after exercise is recommend- the horse’s respiratory rate and body better strategy to provide the necessary ed to help your horse replenish those that temperature has come down to normal energy for training without any nega- were lost. There are also supplements helps maintain the necessary blood flow tive side effects. that contain branched-chain amino acids, to the larger hindquarter and topline Supplements. There are byproducts the building blocks of protein that can be musculature to dissipate the accumulated of intense exercise that accumulate inside readily absorbed by muscle to immedi- break down of products from sustained the muscles of a hard-working horse. ately replenish its energy stores. These muscular contraction. Monitor breathing One important category is free radicals, can be fed directly in a paste or powder and temperature for up to 10 minutes which are naturally generated as muscle formula to provide essential nutrition to after exercise. Aim to walk your horse breaks down energy for contraction. depleted muscle tissue without the work until his rectal temperature has reduced Excess free radicals create inflammation of digesting a meal. at least 2 degrees from what it was at and cause damage to the muscles. One Warm-up. Recovery after exercise the completion of the ride. When your very effective way to counter excess free is also heavily influenced by the warm- horse’s breathing has properly recovered, radicals is supplementation with antioxi- up before intense exercise. An optimal he will no longer flare his nostrils and dants such as Vitamin E, C and Selenium warm-up gradually conditions the will not use his belly to breathe. or phenols like resveratrol and pteros- muscles, joints and soft tissues. Steadily Additional Care and Therapy. Rapid tilbene. The compounds resveratrol and increasing intensity in a warm-up can cooling with buckets of chilled water is pterostilbene are the beneficial ingredi- slowly stimulate the heart and lungs to essential for the overheated horse. Con- ents in blueberries and the skin of red prepare for the pending high demand. trary to popular belief, it’s not necessary grapes that can helps cells protect against This slow rise in blood flow to the large to scrape the water off. Time is of the the damage caused by free radicals. Anti- muscle groups maintains higher delivery essence here and is best spent continu- oxidants can help restore balance inside of oxygen throughout the horse’s body ously pouring chilled water over the muscle tissue. during peak training exercises to reduce horse, ideally while he is still walking. As Hydration. A horse experiences build-up of byproducts such as lactic your horse recovers, you will notice the significant water and electrolyte losses as acid or excessive heat. water coming off your horse is no longer a result of strenuous exercise, specifically Cool Out. A proper cool out after hot. Additional cooling measures include sodium, potassium, calcium and mag- training is very important, especially access to shade and misting fans, if avail- nesium. This is especially true in hotter during the hotter summer months. able. Ice and cold therapy are very effec- and more humid climates. Fresh plain Keeping your horse’s coat clipped during tive at reducing inflammation in joints water should always be available before competition season can help to maximize and soft tissues after strenuous activity and after exercise. Adding loose salt or cooling. Learn to measure parameters and are commonly used to promote electrolyte supplements to the diet prior such as heart rate, respiratory rate and recovery. There are myriad choices of to transport can help ensure your horse rectal temperature. This step should be ice boots for purchase—some even offer drinks well on the road and arrives to the put into practice at home both before compression—but homemade options competition well hydrated. In hotter con- and after exercise. This will familiarize can be equally effective. ditions or after particularly hard exercise your horse with the process and help you when your horse has produced large develop a sense of what is normal for This column has not been approved or volumes of sweat, supplementation with your horse. Slow, steady walking until endorsed by U.S. Equestrian.

Christina “Cricket” Russillo, DVM, graduated from the Tufts University School of Veterinary Medicine in 2001. After completing a large animal medicine and surgery internship at Texas A&M, she realized her desire was to work on elite sporthorses. Following 13 years of practice at Fairfield Equine Associates in Newtown, Connecticut, focused on high-level show-jumping and dressage horses, she joined Virginia Equine Imaging in 2015. Russillo relocates to Florida every winter to support her clients and patients. She has competed through Third Level in CRICKET RUSSILLO dressage and in February 2017 she was appointed the U.S. Dressage Team veterinarian. She is also a certified member of the International Society of Equine Locomotor Pathology.

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