Downeast Medal Finals

November 2022

Presented by Dover Saddlery

September 14-17, 2023

Visit our website for more information about Downeast. We welcome all feedback and suggestions: please email Ginger at ginger@downeastmedalfinals.com

Message from the President

So here we are, November first of 2022. I am not sure where the rest of the year went-it seems to be a blur. We here at DMF wish everyone a very happy and healthy holiday season!

As things start to slow down a little in the horse show world, we ask that anyone who showed at DMF 2022 who would like to be featured in the newsletter to please send us a picture and a brief bio. We would like to hear from our winners of the various classes as well as anyone who attended the show. Please share your experience with all of our readers. We would like to know a little about you, your horse, and what DMF means to you. The bios can be sent to ginger@downeastmedalfinals.com.

Sponsors: If you would like your logos to remain on the website after January 1, 2023, please let Ginger know that you have an interest in returning for 2023 so your category can be reserved for you. She will be in touch to confirm your level of sponsorship and other details in January

or February.

Riders, show managers and trainers: New for 2023, all points will be prorated from August 15th of 2022 for qualification to DMF 2023. Any points earned from August 15, 2022 to August 15, 2023 will qualify the rider for DMF 2023. We are making this change as entries for DMF 2023 will be closing August 15 to make planning easier. Please contact us if you have any questions. The points page has been updated accordingly.

For 2023, we will once again be allowing previous winners of the Junior Medal Finals to compete at DMF in September as long as they have qualified. We will also allow the combining of Adult and Junior qualifying classes, if they fail to fill. Each rider will jump the height of their respective division, over the same course with the judge pinning on the same card for both divisions. Three riders must complete the course. If there are any questions, please contact Ginger or Scott for approval.

Thank you to everyone who made DMF 2022 such a success. Thank you for your continued support to every rider, trainer, parent, and all of our sponsors! Thank you for sharing our vision of a fun and educational final!!

Ginger

Horse Water Requirements

By Kentucky Equine Research Staff

There are six nutrients in a horse’s diet: carbohydrates, protein, fat, vitamins, minerals, and water. Each of those is considered essential, yet water is king of the hill.

“A horse can live for almost a month without food, but within a mere 48 hours without water a horse can begin to show signs of colic and can quickly develop an impaction, lethargy, and life-threatening sequelae. A horse can only survive about five days without water,” shares Peter Huntington, B.V.Sc., M.A.C.V.Sc., director of nutrition at Kentucky Equine Research (Australia).

Consider these five points to ensure the proper quantity and quality of water is being offered to your horses year-round:

1. Horses normally consume between 5 and 15 gallons (approximately 20–55 liters) of water in a 24-hour period. The individually stabled horse is usually easy to monitor for water intake if you are filling five-gallon buckets two or three times a day. If a horse is kept on pasture or in a herd on pasture, assessing water intake becomes increasingly challenging, but not impossible.

“Hydration can easily be assessed in individuals within a herd by feeling their gums to ensure they are moist and pinching a small area of skin on their neck or shoulder to watch it bounce back to its normal position,” advises Huntington.

2. Field-kept horses obtain moisture from pasture. In fact, fresh pasture is approximately 60–80% moisture, meaning they obtain a substantial amount of water while grazing. In contrast, grains, concentrates, and baled hay contain far less moisture, which means horses need to drink more to meet their water needs. Another factor to consider in a herd situation is pecking order. If you suspect that one or more horses are being chased away from the water trough, consider adding a second trough.

3. Weather and exercise can impact water consumption. Typically, horses consume more water during the hot, humid summer months. That said, some horses actually drink more water in the winter than in the hot summer (recall that the quality of forages is generally not as good as in the summer, with less moisture). It’s also important to bear in mind that horses are different and do not need to consume the same amount of water to remain healthy.

4. Underlying health issues can impact water consumption. Diarrhea or chronic kidney disease in particular can cause increased water losses from the body that need to be replaced. Such horses will need extra water to facilitate recovery and maximize quality of life.

5. “Natural” sources of water such as streams or ponds should not be used as the horse’s primary water supply. If they choose to drink from those sources, it is not usually a concern, but they should still be offered fresh water. The quality of streams and ponds cannot be guaranteed, and pollution or algae blooms can impact the safety of those water sources at various times throughout the year. Horses can also have difficulty accessing the water in ponds and streams if the shores are muddy or frozen.

View original article here: https://ker.com/equinews/horse-water-requirements-five-important-facts/

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