Debut Equine

The owner and I can not say enough good things about this young horse. Look at them knees!

I have been meaning to write this post for awhile. At the end of last summer my horse started experiencing symptoms of head shaking- which included a vertical head twitch, snorting and an itchy nose. We originally thought it was due to a large influx of bugs at that time of year because when he went to a show and was not in the paddock, symptoms went away. After he became too distracted, I decided to give him time off, wait until the bugs died off and then bring him back to work. He been going well throughout the summer, so a short break was well deserved regardless of the circumstance. After his time off, symptoms were gone for a month but did come back. I have had this horse for many years and in my heart, knew that what he was experiencing was not behavioural.
Head Shaking Syndrome in horses is a diagnosis of exclusion, so the testing began. The vets wanted to exclude any lameness. Despite not working under saddle, he was very back sore and flexed positive behind on almost every flexion. We did radiographs of hind limbs, back and an ultrasound of the SI. Nothing had changed in the radiographs from the images four years prior and the ultrasound was clean. We also did a Head CT with no findings. We decided to treat the SI and back systematically, which took a lot of time, rest and evaluation. I was not riding him, only doing ground work and pole work on the lunge to try and keep some of his muscles engaged. No lunging devices were used. I always allowed him to be free in his movement so he could show me how he was feeling. He was also wearing a nose net and 90% UV blocking fly mask 24/7. Was also put on Magnesium and vitamin B12.
The injections and courses of muscle relaxers did nothing. The mask and nose net helped symptoms a bit, but he was still uncomfortable. The supplements did nothing. Everything combined, did not provide him relief.
At this point, I believed we needed to start focusing more on the nervous system and not the joints. For anyone who has dealt with a head shaker, you know that treatment- if any- is very difficult and is known to be unsuccessful. Most vets do not have a solution and if they do, prognosis can still be very poor.
About two months ago, I began working with Graham Equine Veterinary Services and we focused solely on doing electro-acupuncture. We decided to do one treatment every 7 days for 5 sessions and then gradually extend the time between treatments. Dr Graham would determine the placement and intensity of treatment based on my horses reactions. Luckily, Rex is the perfect patient and actually enjoys the treatment! It was a shot in the dark but if this didn't work, I would have to retire my horse and worse case scenario euthanize him if his symptoms became to bad in the future........
After the first treatment, back pain gone with no return! Second treatment, he had no symptoms in the stall or paddock. Third treatment, I began riding my horse for short durations. Fourth treatment, I could ride him outside and his flexions were mildly positive, at best..... He is set to have another treatment this week. I am legging him up slowly, still really focused in getting the back strong with ground work and pole work exercises. I am excited and holding my breath in hopes that I have my partner back. Even if I never show him again, I want him to be comfortable. And even if I cannot ride him, at least I may have a plan to provide him relief during retirement.
Fingers crossed and I will provide another update in the near future.

I have never known a rider that has not struggled with this at some point in their riding journey

Riders spend a lot of time waiting to feel ready. Ready to move up. Ready to go in the ring. Ready to jump the course the way they know they can. Often, that readiness is defined by confidence—feeling calm, focused, and sure before it’s time to perform.

But Tonya Johnston, Mental Skills Coach explains that confidence is not something riders need to wait for before they can ride well. In fact, waiting for confidence is often what holds riders back.

Tonya places confidence in the same category as other emotions—useful to notice, but not necessary to control before taking effective action. Riders can still make good decisions, ride accurately, and support their horse even when nerves, doubt, or tension are present.

The issue is not the emotion itself. The issue is believing the emotion must change before the ride can move forward.

When riders treat confidence as a prerequisite, they give it power it doesn’t need to have. Riding well doesn’t depend on feeling a certain way; it depends on staying engaged with what the ride requires.

Tonya explains that riders often get stuck when they shift their attention inward and begin evaluating how they feel instead of staying present with the task at hand. They start asking questions that pull them out of the moment:

Why do I feel nervous today?
What’s wrong with me?
Why don’t I feel confident like I usually do?

Those questions turn the rider’s focus toward judgment rather than action. Instead of staying connected to the horse, the plan, or the next decision, the rider starts trying to diagnose their emotional state. That internal monitoring is what creates hesitation.

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Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

Funny horse at Christmas🤣🤣

As Margie Goldstein-Engle looks across today’s show rings, she sees a sport that has changed dramatically since she first started riding. Horses are bred with more blood and sensitivity, courses have become more technical, and young riders are climbing the ranks faster than ever. But there’s one thing missing that worries her—the pipeline of riders willing to bring along young horses.

“It seems like there are very few that really deal with young horses much anymore, especially in our country,” Margie said. “It’s getting harder and harder to find people who want to do that.”

When Margie turned professional, she built her career from the ground up. “When I was twelve, I started breaking ponies and horses because of my size,” she said. “People would send ponies and horses to the farm for me to break.” That early experience gave her an understanding of horse development that still guides her today.

Now, she worries that new generations of professionals aren’t getting the same education. “Financially, it’s getting more and more difficult to carry horses and pay the showing expenses, shipping, and care,” she said. “Before, there were lots of riders who wanted to bring young horses along. It’s harder to find that now.”

The economic realities of modern horse sport have reshaped how riders build their careers. For many, focusing on made horses in upper divisions is the only sustainable path. Margie understands the pressure but still believes something is lost when riders skip the process of developing a horse from its first jump.

“The sport’s grown so much,” she said. “There are so many more people looking for horses all over the world, and fewer breeders and owners who can afford to keep young horses long enough to develop them. It’s getting more and more difficult.”

That shift, she explained, creates a talent gap. Not just in horses, but in riders. Without time on green or unpredictable mounts, riders lose valuable experience. “The more time you can spend with different horses and horses of all ages, the more knowledge you gain,” she said. “It gives you a lot more tools in your toolbox.”

Riding young horses, Margie explained, teaches lessons that can’t be learned in the show ring alone. “You learn their personalities, their likes and dislikes,” she said. “It helps you develop horse sense.”

That understanding builds the kind of adaptability that’s kept Margie competitive through decades of evolving trends. “The sport is ever evolving,” she said. “You have to try and keep knowledgeable and keep evolving with it. Every new horse teaches me something.”

Margie has seen the shift firsthand. “There are fewer and fewer people who want to help bring the young horses along,” she said. “Everyone wants to go straight into the bigger divisions.”

In earlier generations, working with young horses was part of a natural progression. Riders learned patience, timing, and feel from colts and green mounts before they ever jumped a 1.30m track. Those lessons don’t come easily, or quickly, but Margie believes they create stronger, more intuitive horsemen.

“You develop a broader background when you ride different types of horses,” she said. “The difficult ones make you appreciate the really nice ones that much more.”

To rebuild that foundation, Margie believes the industry needs more opportunities and incentives for riders to work with young horses. Programs that reward patient development, she says, could help restore balance to a system increasingly driven by quick results. To secure the future of show jumping, riders must embrace the slow work again. “Every horse is different,” she said. “They all have different personalities. The more you ride, the more you learn.”

Margie’s own longevity in the sport is proof of the value of that approach. Her ability to adapt, stay current, and produce results stems from decades spent listening to horses, not just riding them. “You can learn even by watching,” she said. “The horses are the best teachers that we have.”

For Margie, the next generation’s success depends on rediscovering that kind of horsemanship. “The more you can ride different horses, the better it is for your knowledge,” she said. “It’ll help you immensely when you go to do the sport, even at the higher level."

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