ON Saturday May 6th, following the cross country phase of the Badminton Horse Trials, a statement was published by the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials technical delegate, Alec Lochore which read: “Rider number 60 Elisa Wallace (USA) riding Simply Priceless was interviewed by the ground jury and sanctioned with a yellow card under article 526.1 – Abuse of the Horse, following her fall at the last fence. Neither horse nor rider were injured in this fall”.

Article 526.1 of the FEI eventing rules, reads as follows: “Abuse of the Horse means an action or omission which causes or is likely to cause pain or unnecessary discomfort to a horse included but not limited to:

a) Rapping.

b) Riding an exhausted horse.

c) Excessive pressing of a tired horse.

d) Riding an obviously lame horse.

e) Excessive use of whip, bit and/or spurs.

f ) Horses bleeding on the flank(s) or back indicating excessive use of the whip and/or spurs.

Wallace’s mount, Simply Priceless, seemed to be tiring from fence 27, the FEI Classics hedge, but was noticeably labouring upon entering the main arena, on approach to the final fence. Commentator, Mike Tucker described the incidence as “not a sight that’s enjoyed.”

Despite Wallace’s efforts, the 16-year-old gelding caught a front leg as he jumped the last, pecking on landing. Elisa was thrown over the horse’s head just before the finish line.

Commenting on the sanction, Wallace wrote in her blog: “Just to update everyone. Johnny (Simply Priceless) is very happy munching his hay. I am okay as well, but I’m disappointed in myself for letting down my horse, my country and my sport. I should have pulled him up. And, I agree with the Ground Jury giving me a yellow card. I made a mistake that I will NEVER make again. I am lucky we are both unscathed. Johnny gave me everything today. I love my horse and my sport.”

Anyone issued with two such cards at any FEI event within a year is automatically suspended for two months.

The technical delegate has the authority to warn or stop an athlete on cross country course for dangerous riding (art. 525), riding an exhausted horse, excessive pressing of a tired horse, riding an obviously lame horse, excessive use of whip and/or spurs (art. 526). However, if not directly witnessed by the ground jury, the incident must be reported as soon as possible to the ground jury through the secretary of the organising committee or cross country control centre as appropriate. Where possible, the report should be supported by a statement from one or more witnesses. The ground jury must decide if there is a case to be answered.

In the sport of horse racing, failure to pull up a lame or injured horse, where it is contrary to the horse’s welfare can lead to a ban or fine.

UNDERSTANDING FATIGUE

Fatigue refers to the inability to continue exercise at a given intensity. In general terms, the higher the intensity of exercise, the earlier the onset of fatigue. Riders must be able to recognise when their horse is suffering from over-fatigue so that they can pull up and save their horse and themselves from a potential injury or fall before it occurs. When Zara Nelson, pony eventing bronze medallist, was asked how she would recognise if her horse was suffering from fatigue and that it might be time to pull up she stated that: “The horse’s breathing tells you a lot. If it has changed throughout the course and doesn’t sound normal I think that’s a clear sign that something is wrong. If the horse has become less responsive to my leg and isn’t going forward as I would expect this would be another indication for me. You have to ride what is underneath you on the day and if your horse is tired it is better to pull up and prevent an accident”

Equine fatigue can present itself in a variety of ways, depending on the discipline, but common signs of severe fatigue to watch out for include:

Last week we discussed how a horse’s fight or flight response can influence their behaviour when it comes to loading into a horsebox. When it comes to exercise, a horse’s fight or flight response can lead the horse to push itself harder than may be beneficial to its welfare. For this reason, it is important that we, as riders and owners, recognise the signs of fatigue and respond accordingly. Fatigue tends to set in gradually, when you notice some of the warning signs, such as the horse becoming less responsive to the aids or unwilling to go forward, it is important to take the pressure off because continuing to press a tired horse will increase the risk of an accident or injury.

A fatigued horse is more likely to stumble or hit a fence, while a horse that has been pushed beyond the point of fatigue in training or competition runs the risk of developing other conditions after exercise, such as colic, tying-up, laminitis or heat exhaustion.

FITNESS

Duration of exercise, terrain, athletic ability, age, fitness and overall health, plus environmental conditions can all influence how quickly a horse fatigues. The factor we can most heavily influence, as riders and owners, is fitness. As we train our horses and they become fitter, they also become less prone to fatigue. It will still occur, but the horse will be able to exercise for longer without tiring. Fittening must be a gradual process, with work increased progressively. Remember to treat every horse as an individual and carefully observe the horse’s progress and adjust their work accordingly.

Your competition warm-up is also important. Your warm-up should incorporate similar movements at a similar intensity to those that will be performed in competition. An event horse needs both fast canter work and jumping included in the warm-up for cross country.

Too little, or too much, warm-up could compromise your horse’s health and performance. Zara’s sister Shannon Nelson, who also has a bronze medal for eventing, shared her warm-up routine with The Irish Field: “If I am competing at a one day event, I wouldn’t make my cross-country warm-up too long because the horse will be tired. I would just start with a walk, trot and canter in light-seat. Remember your canter for cross country is quicker than the canter you will have for show jumping so you need to establish that pace in your warm-up.

“I think it is very important to incorporate what you have seen when out walking the course into your warm-up where possible. If there is a particularly difficult angle or combination I would try to practice something similar in my warm-up. I would finish up with a little gallop before heading down to the start just to open the horse up.”