Downeast Medal Finals

May 2022

Presented by Dover Saddlery

September 15-18, 2022

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

Happy May Day to all!

The show season is in full swing with many shows offering the DMF qualifying classes. Check out the show calendar and pick your shows--there are a lot to choose from this year!

We are excited to have Dover Saddlery as our presenting sponsor (article later in the newsletter). How great is it that Dover sponsors DMF as a grass roots medal final and then also is the presenting sponsor of the USEF/Dover Medal Finals at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania! We thank them for recognizing and supporting our contribution to our rider’s medal quests.

NEWS FOR DMF 2022:

In order to encourage our riders to seek out higher education, we will offer three $1,000 educational scholarships to riders who are going on to, or continuing, their higher education beyond high school. These applicants must enter and show at DMF 2022. The award will be used solely for educational expenses and will be awarded to the school of choice upon submission of successful first semester grades. The application will be posted on the website soon and will require a personal essay about how the applicant will carry the spirit of DMF forward in their lives as well as two or more personal references from either a teacher, employer, or trainer. The winners will be notified at the show.

Entries will be by regular mail only. Closing date is August 30, meaning all accepted entries will be postmarked no later than 8/30/22, so please plan ahead! The class list and all information will be available on the website.

Horsemanship Challenge:

Awards will include an award from Absorbine and also a cash credit on your entry blank provided by Copious Solutions for riders placing first through sixth! The questions for the exam are taken from the articles that appear in the newsletter throughout the year, and also from the USHJA study guide. Rumor has it that Dr. Jeff Vigue may be submitting an article or two for the newsletter so be sure to add them to your study materials! If you are interested in submitting some questions to be used in the exam please feel free to send them to Ginger at ginger@downeastmedalfinals.com. They must be multiple choice and come with answers. There may be an award for you if your questions are used!

All three hunter derbies will be back this year, along with the High Point Maine rider in each, as well as the Team Challenge. The Team Challenge will be open to all riders who enter. We will then have a random draw to designate 6 teams of 6 riders each. The senior rider on each team will be the designated captain, and one rider from each level will make up the rest of the team.

We are looking forward to another fun and educational show. Be sure to save the dates: September 16-18, 2022, with warm-up day on September 15th. Have a great show season!

Deworming Strategies

By Katy Raynor, DVM

There are many theories in the horse world about how you should approach de-worming your horse(s) effectively. My goal with this article is to provide facts related to the common theories and deliver up to date information for owners to take a leadership role in determining the best strategies for their particular horse(s). An overview of common equine parasites is paramount to understand the effect they can have on your trusty steeds. The common equine parasites are large strongyles (bloodworms or redworms), small strongyles, roundworms are the most pathologic in the horse, but all can cause problems. Worms go through different development stages including egg, larvae (immature) and finally adult (mature) worms. The larval stage can migrate through the intestinal wall or to other organs and cause significant systemic reactions, along with laying dormant in the wall and shed when they reach maturity. Migration and/or carrying a large worm burden can cause different types of colic in the horse, therefore making de-worming very important for preventative care.

Recommendations for de-worming horses have changed over time due to parasitic resistance. When I bought my first horse at age 15, I worked at a tack shop my father owned and the worming aisle was fully stocked with a large assortment of brightly colored boxes with lots of long and hard to pronounce names. There were so many choices available I had a difficult time deciphering. The theory then was to rotate de-wormers every 6 weeks or so. Rotating de-wormers was also required at many boarding facilities and still is. Science has shown that this approach is just one of the reasons why we have seen resistance in some horses or even herds to the common anthelmintics (de-wormers) available.

As I became more educated, rotational de-worming programs started to decrease in popularity and the use of fecal egg counts became the new trend. There were owners who relied solely on performing fecal egg counts (FEC) and de-worming based on the numbers shown from that specific test. I personally feel and science has shown that fecal egg counts are important to have analyzed; however, a low shedder does not indicate your horse is parasite free. Fecal egg counts do not reliably get an appropriate number of eggs shed by small strongyles. This is because small strongyle eggs are only seen on a FEC if there are mature female worms shedding. If there are no eggs seen, you cannot rule out the encysted form (which are not mature, and do not actively shed eggs). Another parasite commonly missed with FECʼs are tapeworms. The egg of a tapeworm is too heavy to be seen on the fecal float method. Small strongyles and tapeworms are a common cause of colic, therefore making sure your horse is not significantly affected by these two common parasites is paramount in the fight against parasites.

Read the rest of the article here!

Dover Saddlery - Presenting Sponsor

Dover Saddlery is proud to be a presenting sponsor of the Downeast Medal Finals. Once again, we are thrilled to welcome and congratulate every rider that will be competing. The Downeast Medal Finals has a name that Dover Saddlery is proud to be associated with. Hard work over years in a sport we all cherish with strong barn communities made up of good people that love their horses. All join together to compete with good sportsmanship and camaraderie in a first class venue organized by a strong show management team. Here at Dover Saddlery, we always put the needs of the horse and rider at the core of every decision made. Here you’ll find hundreds of new and innovative equestrian products introduced each year. From tack and apparel, horse clothing, and barn and stable items, the promise to provide world-class products and customer service from a team comprised of 750 knowledgeable, equestrian representatives that are riders just like you, makes Dover Saddlery the number one equestrian source. Whether you choose to call by phone, shop online, or visit us at one of our 35 retail stores across the nation, only at Dover will you find a product selection so broad that it encompasses 30,000 products ranging from entry level to the most advanced rider’s needs. Visit us at our local Plaistow NH, Wellesley MA, or North Kingstown RI, store when you are in the neighborhood. Look forward to your Downeast journey this season and remember to always enjoy the ride!

Rider Spotlight - KaeDee Nowakowski

At the 2021 Downeast Medal Finals, KaeDee Nowakowski and her horse Conquistador won the 2'6" Hunter Derby, the Judge's Choice Best Horse Award, and High Point Maine Rider. Let's learn about KaeDee!

"After Downeast was canceled in 2020 because of pandemic precautions, I was extra excited to be back in Skowhegan for 2021. I had the privilege of riding my horse Conquistador “Captain” in the Adult division, the Adult Medal, and the 2’6 Hunter Derby. Captain is a 17 year old Mecklenburg gelding, who I purchased in November 2020 after leasing him for years. This show season posed some new challenges as I juggled riding and being a first-time mom. It really took a village! With the support of our trainer, Meghan Oathout, as well as Amy Miller, the whole SeaHorse Stables team, my husband, and my parents, Captain and I had a great show. Captain is confident, brave, and a true partner in the show ring. He really enjoys the opportunity to be handy, so he’s a lot of fun to ride in derbies. This was my first year doing the equitation, and I’ve been really happy with Captain’s willingness and versatility as we learn together. I’ve always been his number one fan, so winning the “Best Horse Award” was such an honor and a show highlight for us. This was my second time showing at Downeast, and I’m grateful to have such an amazing show right here in Maine. Thank you so much to the sponsors and everyone who works so hard to put together such a great horse show. We hope to be back in 2022!"